Residents in the borough are saving hundreds of pounds after being enrolled for automatic support with their water bills.
The support comes at a time when households across our 7 towns continue to feel cost of living pressures.
Through a pioneering partnership between Ealing Council, Thames Water and Policy in Practice, 810 households were identified and given a lower bill. Together, these households are now saving £378,028 a year – the equivalent of an average of £466 each.
Policy in Practice used data from the council and Thames Water to find customers who were struggling or on a low income. Thames Water then reduced those bills automatically, without the need for paperwork or online forms.
What support people received
- 799 households had their bills reduced through WaterHelp. This gives a lower bill if you are on a low income.
- 11 households had their bills capped through WaterSure. This helps if you are on a water meter and need to use more water because of a medical need, or because you have a large family on benefits.
A further 86 households received help with old arrears through an Extra Support Scheme. This can give up to £700 off unpaid bills, in addition to the bill reductions above.
Getting a Pension Credit LIFT
The council is continuing to support older residents by bringing millions of pounds back into their pockets through Pension Credit.
Pension Credit is a government payment that can top up your income when you reach state pension age. It can also unlock other help such as winter fuel payments, a free TV licence and support with NHS costs.
Since 2022, the council has helped 384 households make a successful claim. This has brought more than £2.8million into the pockets of older residents.
The council uses a tool called the Low Income Family Tracker (LIFT), which safely uses information to find residents who may be missing out on this support. LIFT brings together information the council already holds, such as housing benefit and council tax support, and highlights people who could be eligible but are not yet claiming.
LIFT currently shows that an additional 382 people in the borough are still likely to be eligible but are not yet claiming Pension Credit.
The council will write to these people in March or April if LIFT shows they might still be eligible.
What you need to do
The council cannot apply for you. You must make a claim yourself.
- use the government’s Pension Credit calculator to check if you are eligible
- call the free claim line on 0800 99 1234 for support
- If your claim is approved, Pension Credit is paid into your bank account.
If you are currently receiving Universal Credit but are reaching pension age, be aware that your Universal Credit will stop and you will have to apply for Pension Credit. This will not happen automatically. You can apply using the routes outlined above up to four months before you reach pension age.
Using every tool available
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “By finding residents who need support before they ask for it, we can put money back into their pockets faster and make a real difference to their daily lives. In a cost-of-living crisis, this kind of proactive help is essential. We will keep using every tool available to support people across our seven towns to stay warm, eat well and live with dignity.”
