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Help to pay terms and conditions

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the Help to Pay scheme the person applying must:

  • be in receipt of Pension Credit (either Pension Guarantee Credit or Pension Savings Credit);
  • all other adults living at the address must be receiving Pension Credit or state pension;
  • occupy the premises as your only home;
  • meet our affordability criteria, which will include us looking at all possible ways of reducing your charges.

The following table shows where to contact if you need to obtain replacement copies of the evidence required for your application. 

Name of benefit or tax credit Evidence required Who to contact

Pension credit

Copy of this year's benefit breakdown letter

Pension service:

0800 731 0469

To be accepted onto the scheme you must: 

(i) Complete an affordability assessment, providing income and expenditure information for the entire household; 

(ii) Agree to a declaration giving permission for United Utilities to validate your benefit receipt with third party organisations, and where specifically requested provide evidence of current benefit entitlement and/or household income. 

In addition to the above, you must also:

  • Live at the address which is on your water bill.
  • Agree to pay an affordable amount towards any outstanding water charges* as well as paying your new charges.
  • Water supplied to your home is not used for:
    • watering a garden (other than by hand) by means of any apparatus; or
    • automatically replenishing a large pond or swimming pool.

*the contribution you will be asked to pay towards your outstanding water charges is subject to a minimum amount.

Wherever possible, customers will be expected to pay their water bill by Direct Debit or via application to the Department for Work and Pensions to pay their water charges direct from their benefits. Where this is not possible, we will set up an alternative payment plan for you.

If you stop making payments you will be removed from the scheme and automatically go back to the way you were charged before you qualified for the scheme.

United Utilities’ decision in relation to a person’s eligibility for the scheme will be final. We also reserve the right to: 

  • amend the eligibility criteria and to suspend or cancel the scheme at any time; and
  • close the scheme to new customers at any given time. 

  • Once we have processed your application and received all necessary evidence of your eligibility, we will then send you a new bill. Your new bill will be based on the Help to Pay tariff charges from the date you applied (if you don’t have a water meter), or the date of your last meter reading. Please note that this will not reduce any arrears from previous bills but we will help you to find a suitable way to pay for any outstanding amounts. If you have a water meter, we will make sure that you do not pay any more than you would have if you had been charged based on actual usage. We will check this by reading your meter. 

  • Wherever possible, customers will be expected to pay their water bill by Direct Debit or via application to the Department for Work and Pensions to pay their water charges direct from their benefits. Where this is not possible, we will set up an alternative payment plan for you. It’s really important that you keep to any agreed payment plan otherwise you will be removed from the scheme. 

  • If you stop making payments you will be removed from the scheme and automatically go back to the way you were charged before you qualified for the scheme. You will also be unable to reapply for the scheme until you have made regular payments for a period of 12 months.

  • You will qualify for the scheme until your circumstances change and you no longer require financial support or until such time as the tariff ends. We may also contact you occasionally to check if you are still eligible for the scheme. You must reply to any requests to confirm your ongoing eligibility. If you do not, you will be removed from the scheme. 

  • You must inform us immediately if your financial circumstances change. We will then check that you still meet the eligibility criteria and may ask you to complete another application containing your new financial details. You may also be eligible for one of our other assistance schemes. Please call us on 0800 072 6765. 

  • Please let us know if you move home so we can update your details to make sure you continue to receive support at your new address. We’ll also check to see if you would be better off on the scheme depending on how much you will pay for your water services at your new home.

  • We will carry out regular checks with the Department for Work and Pensions to make sure you continue to meet our eligibility criteria.