Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to tackle water poverty in the UK in the context of increasing costs of living.

Defra expects all water companies to help those struggling to pay their water bill through measures such as WaterSure, Social Tariffs, payment breaks and holidays, and debt management support. We set out these expectations in our Strategic Policy Statement to Ofwat, which requires Ofwat to consider the affordability of bills for all customers, as well as requiring that water companies have protections in place to support households who struggle with their water bills.

In May 2021, the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) published recommendations following their review of water affordability support in England and Wales. Many of these recommendations are now in place or are being considered for implementation by water companies, and CCW continues to work with water companies to deliver the outcomes of the review. Furthermore, since then CCW and water companies have piloted innovative new initiatives to improve awareness of, and access to, existing support measures. We are currently working with CCW, Ofwat, charities and water companies to explore the remaining recommendations to further support people who are struggling to pay their water bills.