Payment assistance
1. Overview
1.1. At a glance
What
To identify and support customers having difficulty paying their water bills.
1.2. Scope
Who
This policy applies to residential customers who are unable to pay their water bills due to financial or other difficulties
1.3. Objective
Why
Sydney Water’s Payment Assistance Program aims to:• ensure customers have access to essential water services, irrespective of their capacity to pay
• assist customers to manage their water costs and payments
• address the needs of specific groups in the community e.g. older Australians, people from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, lower income customers.
2. Policy
Sydney Water defines a customer experiencing hardship as someone who is willing but unable to pay their bill as a result of financial difficulties.
Hardship may be short, medium or longer term in duration.
2.1. Identifying hardship
Customers experiencing hardship may identify themselves, be identified by Sydney Water customer service or credit management staff or be referred by a community agency.
Sydney Water trains its staff to recognise and support customers who may need assistance.
2.2. Guiding Principles
Sydney Water’s Payment Assistance Program has five guiding principles:
1. Making it easy for customers to ask for help when having payment difficulties.
2. Support for customers who are unable to pay water bills.
3. Protection from water flow restrictions and debt recovery activity for customers experiencing financial hardship who are unable to pay their water bills.
4. Providing a respectful and confidential service.
5. Being proactive in identifying and addressing payment difficulties early.
2.2.1 Making it easy for customers to ask for help when having payment difficulties Sydney Water staff are trained to identify customers who are having payment difficulties or who are in financial hardship. Staff will work with customers to address payment difficulties early.
Sydney Water understands that every customer’s situation is different. Payment
arrangements and/or assistance options offered to each customer will be based on their specific circumstances and capacity to pay. Customers will be offered a range of tailored assistance options to address their circumstances. Customers will be encouraged to make a regular payment arrangement so bills can be paid in smaller more manageable amounts.
Payment arrangements are flexible and can be renegotiated when customers’ circumstances change.
2.2.2 Support for customers who are unable to pay water bills
Sydney Water’s Payment Assistance Program is available to any customer who is
responsible for paying their bills but is unable to pay due to financial difficulties. We can help both owners and private tenants.
Our customer service staff can arrange payment extensions and payment plans immediately.
Customers need to engage with us about their situation and maintain agreed arrangements.
Staff can also provide tailored advice and referral to other assistance options. Some of these services are delivered by Sydney Water and others through local community agencies.
BillAssist is available for customers with longer term payment difficulties. Qualified case coordinators can extend the due date on your bills, arrange regular payment plans, refer and register you for assistance schemes and provide specialist advice.
Sydney Water provides information about its Payment Assistance Program free to all customers. This information is available on residential water bills and reminder notices and on the website at www.sydneywater.com.au .
Fact sheets on assistance options and water wise tips are also available.
Access to a language interpreter is available at no cost to customers.
Sydney Water partners with a network of community service organisations across Sydney Water’s area of operations to provide services for customers.
2.2.3 Protection from water flow restrictions and debt recovery activity for customers experiencing financial hardship who are unable to pay their water bills.
Customers are protected from water flow restriction, disconnection or debt collection activity while:
• they are actively participating in an agreed payment plan or Centrepay arrangement or arranging payment through the Payment Assistance Scheme,
• in the BillAssist program or,
• there is an outstanding billing/accounts complaint with Sydney Water or the Ombudsman.
Customers who don’t meet agreed arrangements and won’t engage with Sydney Water to find a suitable solution may have debt recovery action taken and/or their water supply restricted.
2.2.4 Providing a respectful and confidential service
Sydney Water staff will work respectfully with all customers. All services provided are confidential.
2.2.5 Being proactive in addressing payment difficulties early
Sydney Water tries to assist customers before their finances reach a crisis point by:
• identifying customers who are experiencing hardship early
• ensuring our customers receive the Government concessions they are entitled to
• offering preventative measures such as a payment extension, payment plan or Centrepay arrangement
• referring customers to community service agencies for other assistance including financial counselling, the PAS, or emergency relief
• helping customers use less water by providing water efficiency programs and the PlumbAssist (hardship plumbing program)
• referring customers in longer term hardship to our BillAssist customer assistance program
2.3. Payment Assistance Program options
Government-sponsored support
Pensioner concessions: Concessions on service charges are available for customers holding a Pensioner Concession Card or some Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Cards- including:
o a Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card embossed with: TPI; TTI; War Widow; Widower; Extreme Disablement Adjustment (EDA)
o a Department of Veterans’ Affairs Blue Card - Pensioner Concession Card.
Eligibility: Owner-occupiers holding eligible pension cards.
• Payment Assistance Scheme (PAS): PAS is available to customers experiencing a financial crisis. Sydney Water works with community agencies to provide the Payment Assistance Scheme. An assessment is completed and eligible customers then have a PAS payment directly credited to their account to assist in paying the bill.
Eligibility: Owner-occupiers and private tenants with a copy of the water bill who are responsible for paying for their water usage.
Sydney Water sponsored support
• Customers can ask for a flexible payment arrangement. These include:
o an extension of time to pay the account
o paying off the bill in smaller instalments. This is agreed with the customer and based on what they can reasonably afford
o a regular ongoing payment arrangement to manage bill payments in regular instalments.
Eligibility: Owner-occupiers and tenants.
• Centrepay: A free direct bill-paying service for customers receiving income support.
Customers can choose to pay bills by having a regular amount deducted from Centrelink payments.
Eligibility: Owner-occupiers and tenants.
• PlumbAssist: PlumbAssist provides essential or emergency plumbing work for
customers in financial difficulty. To be eligible customers must be the owner-occupier of the residence, experiencing financial hardship and unable to afford essential or
emergency plumbing repairs. A free WaterFix service for customers experiencing hardship is also available.
Eligibility: Owner-occupiers
• BillAssist: BillAssist is a customer support program available for customers with longer term payment difficulties. Qualified case coordinators can extend the due date on bills, arrange regular payment plans, refer and register customers for assistance schemes and provide specialist advice.
Eligibility: Owner-occupiers and tenants.
• Financial counselling: Sydney Water refers customers for financial counselling with a qualified financial counsellor as needed.
Eligibility: Owner-occupiers and tenants.
• Other assistance options: Customers are referred to a range of other assistance options to help with energy bill, emergency relief, no interest loans etc.
Eligibility: Owner-occupiers and tenants.
3. Definitions
Term Definition
Hardship Financial difficulties that make it difficult to pay for essential items and services which can cause privation or suffering.
