United Utilities - will help you pay off arrears

misty

i was talking to someoe who works for the CAB and she was telling me that apparently United Utilites have a scheme for people in arrears with their water rates. As long as you start to pay your normal monthly instalments on time any arrears you pay will be matched pound for pound by them. Therefore say you owe £200 arrears if you start to pay your monthly instalments on time and then say £4 off the arrears they will then take off a further £4 ,effectively halving your debt

DJ1UK

Althought this is true - it is called the Arrears Allowance scheme, it is very difficult to get on to it. You need to be in arrears for over 1 year and claiming some benefit (not too sure of the exact ones). They take a full income and expenditure statment and will negotiate with the CAB for you to prioritise your water debt before anything else. If you do get onto it, you need to stick to the payments exactly - if you miss one or it is less than its meant to be, the whole debt becomes liable and the full debt recovery process - (leading ultimately to court) is started.

Just thought the above info may be helpful - was told to me, by a collegue who tried to get onto the scheme.

DJ

Fran

The Severn Trent Trust Fund also give help towards paying for water.