Partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council supports older people
Over 3,400 of our customers, who are of pensionable age, have received a grant of £132 thanks to Cambridgeshire County Council’s Household Support Fund. The Household Support Fund was launched by the Government in November 2021, with Cambridgeshire County Council required to spend a certain amount of the funding to support people of pensionable age who are struggling to make ends meet.
An initial partnership between the council and Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough supported almost 2,000 people of pensionable age who came forward for support. However, to ensure more people could be helped, Cambridgeshire County Council joined forces with us.
We identified people of pensionable age who were in arrears with their water bill or receiving our discounted ‘Assure’ tariff, so these customers could receive the £132 grant. We contacted eligible residents and payments were made before the end of December.
"Our team has worked hard and contacted as many eligible residents as possible, including sending direct mail to people in receipt of Pension Credit. Our partnership with Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has helped encourage applications from people who don’t usually contact the council.
"By working with Cambridge Water it means that we can support a large number of people in our area through the coming months. We wanted to ensure that we spent all of the allocation from central government as we know that there are residents who need it. This scheme has allowed us to do just that.
"The Household Support Fund has now been extended to the end of March 2023, so if you or someone you know is struggling with the rising cost of living, please get in touch so we can help.”
Councillor Tom Sanderson, chair of the Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council.
“We know that people are struggling this winter, so it’s been fantastic to partner with Cambridgeshire County Council on this initiative and help 3,457 of our customers to receive this extra support.
“I’d encourage anyone, of any age, to get in touch with us if they are struggling. We have many different support packages in place to help. Our ‘Assure’ tariff, for example, offers a water bill discount to low income households, and is available to anyone with an income less than £19,050 and if you have children this income limit increases by £1,500 per child. Please don’t struggle alone!”
Andy Willicott, Managing Director of Cambridge Water.
Assure
Our Assure tariff can help you if you are on a low income, it aims to make our bills more affordable.
Household Support Fund
The Household Support Fund (HSF) helps people experiencing immediate financial hardship to pay for food and household energy bills.
Watersure
WaterSure is a national scheme designed to help families save money if they use a lot of water and receive certain income-related benefits.
Posted: 14 February 2023