Disability Rights UK Factsheet

The WaterSure scheme

This Disability Alliance factsheet is a basic introduction to the Watersure scheme. You can find out more information on the help available for disabled people in Disability Rights UK's Disability Rights Handbook.

Disability Rights Handbook The handbook provides information and guidance on benefits and services for people with a disability or health condition. Fully updated for 2011, our user-friendly guide presents this complex information in a concise, straightforward and jargon-free way. find out more

What is it?

The WaterSure scheme (formerly the vulnerable household scheme) is intended to help you if you have a water meter installed and you have difficulties paying for your water charges because you need to use a lot of water or are on a low income.

The scheme only operates in England and Wales.

How much is it?

If you qualify, under the WaterSure scheme, you will pay no more than the average household bill for your water company, even if you use more than the average amount of water.

You will not qualify for help under the WaterSure scheme if you use a garden sprinkler system or have a swimming pool.

What are the rules?

To get help under the WaterSure scheme you or anyone else living with you has to be:

(a) entitled to receive one or more of the following:

• main council tax benefit
• housing benefit
• income support
• working tax credit
• income-based job-seeker's allowance
• child tax credit (except families in receipt of the family element only)
• pension credit
• income related employment and support allowance

and either,

(b) be entitled to receive child benefit for three or more children under the age of nineteen who reside in the premises or

(c) diagnosed as suffering from, or has a child under nineteen who resides in the premises diagnosed as suffering from one or more of the following -

• Desquamation (flaky skin disease)
• Incontinence
• Abdominal stoma
• Eczema, psoriasis or varicose ulceration (weeping skin disease)
• Crohn's disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Renal failure requiring dialysis at home, unless a contribution to the cost of water consumed in the process of dialysis during the billing period is made by the health authority
• any other medical condition which requires the use of significant additional water and can be supported with a doctor's certificate

How do I claim?

Contact your local water supplier.

Where can I get more help and information?

You can find contact information and links to all UK water companies at www.water-guide.org.uk. Some, but not all, of these water companies provide information on the WaterSure scheme on their websites.

The Social Policy Research Unit (SPRU) has published a report on "Water affordability in England and Wales" available to download at http://php.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/pubs/1197/.

Radar runs a National Key Scheme (NKS) which offers disabled people independent access to locked public toilets around the country. Toilets fitted with National Key Scheme (NKS) locks can now be found in shopping centres, pubs, cafés, department stores, bus and train stations and many other locations in most parts of the country. For more information see www.radar-shop.org.uk.

All our publications are available at www.disabilityalliance.org/shop.htm. You can also place an order by contacting Disability Rights UK on 020 7247 8776 (this is not an advice line) or by fax on 020 7247 8765. All our factsheets are available at www.disabilityalliance.org/fact.htm.

12 October 2011