Watersure

Availability

Referral Details

Eligibility:

Who qualifies for Watersure?

To qualify for Watersure you need to:

• be on a water meter or have applied for one and be waiting for it to be installed, or be paying an assessed charge because it's not possible to fit a meter at your property  
• be on certain benefits
• have a high essential use of water.

The Welsh Water HelpU Scheme can help customers of Welsh Water even if they do not have a water meter.

Which benefits do you need to be on?

The benefits you need to be on depends on your supplier. You should check which benefits they cover. Most suppliers offer this scheme if either you or someone in your household get one of the following benefits:

• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income Support
• income-related Employment And Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit awarded at a rate higher than the family element.

To find out more about these benefits, see our Benefits pages.If you're struggling to pay your water bills and you don't qualify for Watersure, there are other schemes which may be able to help. You can find more information on the Water UK website at: www.water.org.uk.

What's meant by high essential use of water?

If your household has a high essential use of water this means:

• someone in the household has a medical condition for which they need to use a lot of water, or
• you have three children or more under 19 and in full-time education living in your household.

The person with the medical condition or the children under 19 must use the property as their main home.

People who have one of the following medical conditions will automatically qualify for Watersure, as long as they meet all the other qualifying conditions:

• desquamation (flaky skin disease)
• weeping skin disease (eczema, psoriasis or varicose ulceration)
• incontinence
• abdominal stomas
• renal failure requiring dialysis at home  - although you won't qualify for Watersure if you're already getting a contribution to your water costs from the NHS
• Crohn's disease
• ulcerative colitis.

You can also apply for Watersure if there is someone in your household who has another medical condition which means using higher than average amounts of water. Water companies will ask for details from a doctor.

You can’t apply for Watersure if the high use of water in your household is because of things like:

• watering a garden using something other than a watering can or sprinkler – for example a hose
• refilling a pond or swimming pool with a capacity of more than 10,000 litres.

 

How do I apply?

You can apply for Watersure by filling out a form from your water company. You will need to supply evidence that you qualify, such as a copy of your awards notice for a benefit.

You won't need to supply medical evidence if your medical condition is on the list of conditions which automatically qualify.

However, if you have another condition which isn't on this list, you will need to provide evidence from your doctor, including how the condition is treated and the effect it has on how much water you use.

You will also need a doctor’s certificate, which you have to pay for.