water bill cut if you have 3 or more kids under 19

jayneybella

Just wondering if anyone has heard of this before,I came across it on a mums chat site,apparently if you have three or more kids under 19 they will reduce your bill! Not sure if it is only certain companies,would help me a great deal if its true.

WelshPaul

If you are on a water meter and you have three children in full time education they will cap your water bill.

My sister has this.

inneedofmoney

I asked them about it, on the back of the bill it says about if you are on benifits you could get your bills reduced and to ask, so I asked them and was told that if you have 3 children in full time education or someone in the family with a disablement that means they have to use more water than normal then they will discount your bill, dont know what too because my third isnt due till May so have to ring back then

NeverInDebt

If you have a medical condition that requires use of lots of water you can get it reduced too or as said 3 or more kids its nothing to do with having benefits

jayneybella

thanks everyone will give them a call and let you know how I get on.

Gothicfairy

Just to add: you have to have a meter to apply for this and your yearly bill has to be over £310.00 ( for 2009-2010 so it might be slightly more now)
You have to qualify with the right type of benefits or be disabled ( or have a medical condition that requires more water and can be proved ie Dr letter)
Some people go on a meter through this scheme thinking it will make their bills cheaper but the thing to remember is that one you are no longer getting benefits or one child leaves home etc the scheme stops and you then have to pay for all your water on that meter and it will not be removed at that point.

C_Mababejive

Surely if you use more water,your bill should go up automatically?

pinkmami

I'm with Welsh Water & on the Assist tarriff of £250 as we have 3 children. All they wanted was proof of Child Benefit claimed.

cathij0269

Hia, I posted this fabulously useful tip a long while back (it's probably fallen off the end of the Web by now!). Like you I was amazed, I had been paying normal rates for years until a friend put me on to it. In our neck of the woods it's called "Welsh Water Assist" (other areas will have different names...obviously!). I had seen the info at the top of bills previously, but when it said "in receipt of certain benefits" I assumed they were benefits like DLA, jobseekers allowance, income support etc...turns out it includes Working Tax Credit (any amount) or Child Tax Credit. To qualify all you need is to have 3 or more children under 19 and in full time education, and to be in receipt of benefits/tax credits (or have an illness which requires extra water consumption) My Bill was reduced by nearly £200 a year. Sadly I discovered this very late and am now down to my final 3 children (I have 4) under 19, so I will only benefit for another year or 2.

Gothicfairy

http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/consumerissues/assistance/watersure