Cost of living help: Yorkshire Water to give £70 account payment to low-income households

While average water bills have stayed the same throughout the year, other utility bills have seen sharp increases.

More than 45,000 Yorkshire Water customers will automatically receive the payment, which will be applied directly to their account.

Customers will not need to contact Yorkshire Water in order to receive the payment.

The payment is part of a series of initiatives Yorkshire Water is introducing in response to the increasing cost of living.

The water company recently announced a £115m pot of support for struggling households.

Yorkshire Water currently has five financial support schemes that help customers struggling to pay their bill.

Those already on the company’s social tariffs, WaterSure and WaterSupport, will be eligible for the £70 payment.

The company estimates that there could be up to an additional 200,000 low-income households in Yorkshire could be eligible for help via its WaterSure or WaterSupport.

Those applying from September will receive the £70 payment pro-rata for the remainder of the year.

Angie Markham–Nock, customer support manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “We know a lot of customers are worried about money at the moment and we’re seeing more people than ever benefit from our financial support schemes.

"We hope this £70 payment will provide some relief to households across Yorkshire this year.

“We don’t want our customers to worry about paying their next bill – our financial support schemes are there to help and can provide some relief to those who need it.”

For more information on Yorkshire Water’s financial support schemes, visit https://www.yorkshirewater.com/bill-account/help-paying-your-bill/