‘Mental Health Accessible’ accreditation

The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute – the charity founded and chaired by Martin Lewis (MoneySavingExpert) – has today awarded a ‘Mental Health Accessible’ accreditation to United Utilities.

The water company for the North West has been awarded the first level of three that firms can achieve, reflecting its journey to support customers with mental health problems.

The rating is based on a comprehensive and in-depth review by Money and Mental Health looking at the accessibility of United Utilities’ services and communications, and the policies they have in place to ensure good support.

Money and Mental Health conducted interviews with staff to better understand the company’s processes and analysed feedback from members of its Research Community (who all have lived experience of a mental health problem) to explore their experiences of using United Utilities' services.

The accreditation reflects the steps that United Utilities has taken to make its services accessible for customers with mental health problems, including:

• Providing 87% of frontline colleagues with training that covers what a mental health problem is, the link between financial difficulty and mental health problems, how these factors affect customers, and how better service design can support customers with particular conditions such as anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder.

• Offering real-time online guidance to colleagues to help them provide effective and consistent support to customers in vulnerable or high-risk situations and to improve outcomes for those with mental health conditions. This ensures that customers have their individual needs addressed rather than simply being offered general advice.

• United Utilities uses data to identify customers who may benefit from financial support including social tariffs, payment support, or wider welfare benefits. Customers showing signs of difficulty are proactively contacted and specialist affordability teams match them to support. United Utilities has supported over 417,000 customers on its affordability schemes in the past year. 

Morven Lean, Head of Strategic Partnerships at the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute said: “We’re delighted to award United Utilities the ‘Mental Health Accessible’ accreditation. It’s the latest utilities company to receive this accolade which is testament to the important steps it’s taken to improve the service to customers across the North West who are experiencing mental health problems.

"In particular, we're really pleased to see United Utilities investing in training to ensure staff can give good support to customers who are struggling and using data to identify and reach out to people who could benefit from that support.

 “Making services more accessible benefits all of us, but it can be life-changing for people with mental health problems. We welcome the commitment that United Utilities has shown to their customers with mental health problems and congratulate them on this first major step on that journey. We hope to work with them in future to develop this work further.

“Water companies, banks and energy companies should all consider what steps they can take to ensure that everyone can easily use their services, no matter what challenges they might be facing in life.”

Mike Gauterin, who is Customer, Technology and Security Director at United Utilities, said: “At United Utilities we have a strong culture of care and support right across the organisation. We’re extremely proud to receive this accreditation, which reflects our continued commitment to making sure every customer gets the support they need, particularly when they may be facing challenging moments. It also reinforces our focus on making our services accessible and ensuring customers feel understood and supported.

“Between now and 2030, our £525 million support package will help around one in six households, backed by our industry‑leading Priority Services scheme. We’re committed to delivering fair, flexible and inclusive services that improve outcomes for customers who need extra help.

“This accreditation is another important step in our ongoing work to listen, improve and do the right thing.”

Money and Mental Health’s Mental Health Accessible Programme works with utility providers (such as water and energy companies) as well as financial services providers to help them better understand and meet the needs of customers with mental health problems.

The programme was established in 2019 when Money and Mental Health’s research showed that customers with mental health problems face serious difficulties when engaging with essential services.