Benefits deductions for water

Hello all

Kind of debt and benefits question this one.

Water companies can make deductions from means tested benefits for water arrears under the 1980’s ? it will be a benefit to client or/and family rules. As you can not be cut off from water, it was always my understanding that if you are having deductions made under this rule, and you want to stop the deductions for water you just need to contact the benefits agency and ask for the deductions to be stopped and the benefits agency have to stop the deductions.

This was my understanding of this rule and up till now also the benefits agency understanding, who have always stopped such deductions when requested previously. But now the benefits agency are saying they cannot stop such deductions unless requested by the water company.

Has anyone got any ideas of the relevant legislation regarding this.

Many thanks

wHO IS THEIR WATER PROVIDER?

Hi Panda (surely not the Panda I know from my other life?)

pp 1227 of CPAG points to Sch 9 para 1 & 7 of the SS(Claims and Payments) Regs.

It would appear that they only require the consent of the beneficiary; i.e. the claimant, if the amount goes above the prescribed maximum amount… Once it’s established that the beneficiary has failed to budget for the costs and that it is in the interests of the family to do it there’s no explicit provision to stop the payments once they’ve started other than a successful argument that it’s no longer in their interests to make the deductions.

Edit
I’d make a written application to stop the charges with the aforementioned argument and requesting any authority for their assertion that the deductions can’t simply be stopped. That way the JR clock starts ticking once they reply.