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Apply for debt support

Our Customer Assistance Fund can help you to clear your debt if you’re struggling to pay previous water bills.

How does the scheme work?

If you qualify, we’ll match any money you pay towards your water debt, pound for pound.

You’ll need to pay your current water bills, as well as making an affordable payment towards your debt each month. 

If you maintain regular payments for two years, we’ll pay off any remaining debt at the end of the scheme. It’s a long-term commitment on both sides. We hope that by making smaller regular contributions, you’ll be free of water debt after two years and your water bills will be more affordable going forward.

Do I qualify?

To help those most in need, and ensure those joining the scheme can stay on it for two years, we use detailed criteria.

To qualify, you’ll need to:

  • are in receipt of a means-tested benefit
  • have at least £120 outstanding debt on previous bills (dated before 1 April 2021)
  • be responsible for your own water bills rather than them being paid by a landlord, housing association or someone else
  • have an active Thames Water account, receiving bills from us on an ongoing basis
  • be able to afford your current and future bills
  • commit to making payments towards your debt over the next two years
  • be willing to share your income and outgoings so we can assess your ability to pay
  • consent to your data being used for checks or to place you on other financial schemes that help reduce bills

You won’t qualify if you: 

  • are a non-household customer, such as a landlord or housing association
  • receive your water bill from a different company
  • only have current water debt from bills dated after 1 April 2021, or debt less than £120
  • have successfully applied to this payment matching scheme in the past three years
  • have already agreed to a litigation payment plan with us

Is the scheme right for me?

Before you apply for the scheme, it’s important to make sure it’s right for you. Here’s some more information to help you decide: