Data sharing is an important tool for us to make sure customers get the support they are eligible for.
With agreements in place with DWP, local authorities, housing associations and neighbouring water companies, we’re seeing big increases in customers able to access discounted bills and our social tariff.
We know that understanding what support they’re eligible for - and even knowing that support exists in the first place - isn’t always easy for our customers.
Alongside efforts to improve our communications and make application processes easier, we’ve also entered into a series of data sharing agreements with key partners to help us proactively identify those in greatest need of support and cut out big parts of our eligibility checking process.
Through a data sharing agreement with the Department of Work and Pensions, we’ve been able to proactive assess customers for eligibility for WaterSure and our pension credit tariffs.
That work with DWP has helped us increase the number of customers benefiting from WaterSure by 60% and increased fourfold the number of pensioner households receiving a discounted bill.
We’re working with local authorities, including with Norfolk County Council helping customers in arrears through the government’s Household Support Scheme, and with our fellow water company Anglian Water, sharing information on WaterSure eligibility in our shared operating area.
We’re also working with Believe and Gentoo - two housing providers - to help customers we do not bill directly.
In total we have around a dozen partners who help us assess eligibility for our social tariff as part of their own financial wellbeing work.
This all works to make accessing support as easy as possible for the customers who need it - and in some cases, they now receive it automatically.