Shocked & stressed. United Utilities meter nightmare / high income but disabled child care costs. Advice needed!

[Creativebee]

Hi everyone,
I really need some advice and a bit of sanity before I lose my mind with stress.

We are currently renovating our house (it's stripped to the brickwork right now with no appliances connected). United Utilities recently hit us with a massive bill, claiming our historical meter readings show we were using between 700 and 1000 litres of water a day before the building work started.

After a massive panic, we've managed to sort the current incorrect bill down to a lower amount and we've confirmed there is no active leak. The terrifying reality my partner and I have realised is that the reading is likely correct for our past usage.

We have a disabled daughter who receives PIP and has very intense clinical care needs. She has a specialist Closomat wash-and-dry medical toilet, we have to run constant high-volume laundry cycles, and her daily hygiene routine uses a massive amount of water.

Our problem is the future. Based on these numbers, when we move back into the house, we are facing an ongoing, permanent water bill of over £2,500 every single year.

I called United Utilities to try and get our daughter's medical needs registered for a billing cap (like WaterSure). The front-line phone agent flatly rejected us. They said because our household income is high, we are completely disqualified from any help because we earn over their standard social tariff thresholds.

But our income isn't just sitting there to be handed over to a utility company! PIP doesn't cover anywhere near the actual cost of her specialist care, and my income heavily subsidises her equipment and needs. We are being financially penalised just for running the essential medical infrastructure our child relies on.

Has anyone with a higher income but a disabled child successfully fought a water company on this?
Has anyone bypassed the frontline staff and won? Does anyone have a direct team contact or a trick to get through to a human manager at UU who has the power to override the computer script?
Thank you so much x

Sorry for your predicament and for them not letting you go onto the social tariff. I am on it but have a very low income it's a godsend for me so hopefully if you appeal you will get it.

Is your daughter an adult? I only ask because maybe if it's based on HER income then the income might be lower if that makes sense.

How much per month wil you be paying for your water? If you're doing tons of laundry then presumably you're going to have an equaly high electricity bill so do you have the same problem there? Are you on a social tarriff with electric?

Just seen your water bill just over £200 a month! Crikey! Thats enormous. I'd definately appeal. As you say, what on earth is the point in getting PIP if all you're doing with it is handing over to the utility companies!

Have you applied for the United Utilities Grant Scheme?

Also there are grants available from some charities if you are unsuccessful with the UU grants scheme.
It depends what job you do as to what might be available. For example there is help if you work in retail, or srn, or a solicitor for example.
There is a book you can get hold of called Grants for Individuals in Need which might be worth having a look at.

There is also the Disabled person band reduction scheme available which could reduce your council tax by one band, which won't be much more than a few hundred a year but every bit helps.

If I think of anything else I'll post again.

Do you get the vehicle tax exemption?

And have you looked at the Family Fund?

https://www.familyfund.org.uk/support/discover-more/?cat=grants-and-funding&location=england&search=

Not everything is means tested. Most of these I've mentioned aren't.

And don't forget building work done relating to your child's disability should be 0 vat rated.

Thanks, ofcolitas. I just double-checked the strict WaterSure guidelines and unfortunately, they calculate eligibility based on total gross household income rather than just her individual income, so they will still block us on the automated forms because of my salary.

You are spot on about the electricity bills, though. They are already terrifying because her specialised profiling hospital bed and the Closomat drying cycles run constantly.

Thank you, PrincessofWills. We actually looked into the Disabled Person Band Reduction scheme before, but because our home renovation is a larger project for the whole family rather than just a sole, dedicated medical extension for her, we wouldn't meet the council's strict structural criteria for that money off.

However, your suggestion about the United Utilities Trust Fund is a great angle. Since she is an adult student with such intense, lifelong care needs, I am going to look into applying to the fund directly. Because it's an independent charity, I'm hoping they will look at our actual, massive care outgoings rather than just the raw household salary figure. I will track down that book you mentioned too, thank you so much for the ideas!

Did you have the water meter installed? If so can you ask for it to be removed?

How will having the meter removed help her?

No the person we bought the property from had the water meter installed so there is no way of having it removed. I never had this issue in my previous property as we didn’t have a water meter.

Family fund is means tested.
loads of these measures are which means all your pip goes and some more on top.
it’s so stressful. We have ocd here so water is constantly pouring down sinks.

Suggestion

Have you looked at installing hand washing sinks above toilet cisterns ?

Or installing a system that uses rain water ?