Can a water company cut me off?
No, a water company can't cut off the supply to a domestic property if you currently live in it. Despite this, it's still important to pay any arrears to avoid the risk of court action.
Can I get help to pay my water arrears?
If you receive benefits, you may be able to arrange for payments to be taken directly from your benefits using a scheme called Water Direct. This means part of your benefits are paid straight to the water company to help cover the arrears and your current water usage. This can be a helpful way to clear arrears in manageable amounts and stop any recovery action against you.
The disadvantage of Water Direct is that the arrears are taken at a fixed rate (£3.75 per week for legacy benefits, and 5% of the standard allowance for Universal Credit). This adds up to around £16 a month. However, you may be able to negotiate lower payments directly with the water company.
To find out more about the Water Direct scheme contact your water company.