South East Water programmes to help with paying water bills

Low income families or individuals that need assistance with paying water expenses from South East Water can contact the supplier for information on different programmes they offer. Depending on factors such as the family’s income level, number of household members, and their government benefits, the person may be able to qualify for financial aid. Some of the possibilities include Helping Hand from Charis, the WaterSure scheme, and many others. Call the company to get more information.

Helping Hand is one of the main resources available. Grants can be issued for paying both water and/or sewerage bills. It is only for people that have been taking steps to improve their financial situation and are working towards stability. So the applicant should be budgeting, saving, and taken similar steps. It can even pay down expenses that are in arrears and that have accrued over time.

While Charis is the charity that administrates it, the programme is funded by contributions from South East Water. Helping Hands offers financial assistance to a number of households, and it can be an effective service for clearing unpaid bills.

Each application for the scheme will be reviewed on a one off basis by the charity. Any grant paid out is done so on a provisional basis. This means the participant needs to continue to pay their water bill on time over a period of several months, and they need to main financial stability. South East Water will require that the customer stay on top of their account and don’t fall back into arrears.

If the customer stays current on their water bills for a period of 6 months, the funds provided to them will be confirmed. Any debts they owe, within limits, will then be wiped out by the grant, and the customer will have a clean slate. To learn or to apply for Helping Hand, contact the supplier or Charis Grants.
Customers can contact the programme at Freepost RSHE-ARTT-AAUE, PO BOX 42, Peterborough, PE3 8XH. Or call 01733 421 060.

South East Water fully supports and encourages people look into WaterSure. This is a government scheme that is available for qualified customers. The supplier will offer customers limited amounts of financial support for paying their water costs. There are many conditions to this, and some of them include the following.

A household member must receive state or government benefits. They also need to have a medical condition or a family of over 3 members. Other eligibility conditions may apply as well. For example, the scheme may be for South East Water customers that get the Housing Benefit, some form of Income Support, Working Tax Credit, or an Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.

A payment programme from the DWP – the Department of Work & Pensions and the supplier is known as Water Direct. This will establish a plan in which the water bill is paid directly by the customer’s benefits. This will also simplify the process for individuals. So your South East Water expense can be paid from Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance, or other benefits.

This will help alleviate a household concern over any other debt recovery action. It is a free water assistance scheme. Other benefits include it will pay your current year’s charges plus a fixed amount to help clear any back arrears due. For more information, contact the Job Centre Plus or call the company itself.

For more information on these solutions, or some other payment plans, call South East Water at 0333 000 0005. Another effective resource to use is your local Citizens Advice Bureau, and staff at these locations can also advise clients.


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