Hello! Giving a shout out to any other United Utilities customers who may or who have may not come across this issue. I don't think AIBU, however I need some advice and pointers here.
Background: Besides working full time, I also care for a disabled child who gets high DLA rate for care and low DLA rate for mobility.
More than 10 years ago, I applied at United Utilities on their WaterSure programme... which back then, was meant to support families there, since my son has a habit of smearing.
However, my husband and I separated and my husband moved elsewhere. So I've been working on getting bills in this house purely in my name.
After the separation, I asked United Utilities for a new account. I asked them to acknowledge my son's disability and apply the WaterSure discount, grandfathered from the original account. They told me that they could not do that, rather I would need to re-apply for the WaterSure discount.
I was referred to a website called "IEHub" where folks are referred to when they have difficulty paying bills. We're not in difficulty. Rather, my son has a disability and a lot of medical proof that more water is used for his needs. It's not means tested (to the best of my knowledge), its need tested. And we had already demonstrated the need to United Utilities a while back. It's not like his needs have changed.
After going jumping through some hoops there, including getting a letter from my son's community paediatrician stating that my son still has continence issues, I uploaded that information to the IEHub, and then a week later, phoned United Utilities to find out if they were in receipt of that information and if they were acting on it.
United Utilities referred me to another website https://www.hardshiphub.co.uk/ no, we're not in hardship ... my son has a disability and we may use more water than other families as a result, and he's entitled (or so I thought) to a cap on that.
I've tried googling all of this-- hadn't gotten far. What's been your experience, if its similar to mine?
Or what did I miss there?
TIA for your insights!