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Written question asked by Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative) on Thursday, 5 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 9 March 2026. It was answered by Emma Hardy (Labour) on Thursday, 12 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.


Water Charges

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Water White Paper, January 2026, p.31, how will the reform of the WaterSure scheme be funded, and whether there will be a cross-subsidy charged on household bills of residents who are not on the WaterSure scheme.

Answer

This Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable and as such, is reforming the WaterSure support scheme. The regulations that provide for the scheme were made in 1999: The Water Industry (Charges) (Vulnerable Groups) Regulations 1999. We will extend eligibility to more households where a medical condition is present and increase support for up to 180,000 existing WaterSure recipients who could see a lower bill cap.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
118223
Session
2024-26
Related items
A New Vision for Water
Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Command papers
House of Commons
House of Lords
Water Charges
Tuesday, 8 September 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Billing Finance Reform Water charges
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk