Financial Assistance

You will be considered to be in financial hardship¹ if paying your water bill will affect your ability to meet your basic living needs – in short, if you have the intention but not the financial capacity to pay.

 Financial hardship may, for example, be caused by:

·         loss of your or a family member’s primary income;

·         separation or divorce from your spouse;

·         loss of a spouse or loved-one;

·         physical or mental health problems;

·         a chronically ill child;

·         domestic or family violence;

·         budget management difficulties because of a low income; or

·         other unforeseen factors affecting your capacity to pay, such as a reduction in income or an increase in non-discretionary spending.

 If you think you may be in financial hardship we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible.

 You may ask your financial counsellor to contact us on your behalf.

 We will assess within five (5) business days whether we consider you to be in financial hardship. If we cannot make our assessment within five (5) business days, we will refer you to a Financial Counsellor for assessment.

 As part of our assessment we will consider any information provided by you and, if applicable, your financial counsellor. We will also take into account any information we may have on your payment history. As soon as we have made our assessment, we will advise you of the outcome.

If we determine that you are in financial hardship, we will offer you more time to pay your water bill or a payment plan. We will not charge you any fees or interest as part of your extension or payment plan.

 We will involve you and, if applicable, your financial counsellor in setting a payment plan. When setting the conditions of the plan, we will consider your capacity to pay and, if relevant, your consumption history.

 If you ask us, we will review your payment plan. If our review indicates that you are unable to meet your obligations under the plan, we will revise it.

 We do not have to offer you a payment plan if you have had two payment plans cancelled because of non-payment.

 If you are a tenant, we must make sure that the land owner is aware of us giving you an extension or entering into a payment plan with you before we do so. We can agree that you notify the landowner of the proposed extension or payment plan (and provide us with evidence that you have done so), or you can give us permission to notify the landowner.

 If you are in financial hardship, we will consider reducing the amount you owe us.

 We will also not commence or continue proceedings to recover your debt:

·         while we are assessing whether or not you are in financial hardship; or

·         if you are complying with your payment plan or another payment arrangement you have with us.

 If you do not comply with your payment plan or other payment arrangement, we may commence debt recovery proceedings.

 We may outsource your debt to a debt collection agency. Additional fees may apply in this case. When collecting your debt, we will comply with Part 2 of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) and Australian Securities and Investment Commissions (ASIC) Debt collection guidelines for collections and creditors.

It is your right to have your water bill redirected to another person free of charge if you are absent or ill.

Click here to pay your bill or find out about our payment options.

If you do not pay your bill by the due date, we may fit a device to your meter which will reduce the flow of your water supply. Aqwest will advise you in advance if the flow of water will be reduced.

 We will not reduce your water flow while we are assessing whether you are in financial hardship. We will also not reduce your water flow if you are in financial hardship and you are complying with your payment plan.

 If we have reduced your water flow, we will restore it once you have either paid the amount you owe us or entered into a payment plan with us for that amount.

You may be eligible for Pensioner and Senior Concession(s) and/or financial relief (HUGS -Hardship Utilities Grant Scheme).

 We may refer you for a Hardship Utilities Grant.

We will advise you of any financial counselling services or other organisations that may be available to you. Financial counsellors offer free, independent information to help you take control of your financial situation.

 The Financial Counsellors’ Association of WA (FCAWA) can refer you to a financial counsellor in your area by calling them on the National Debt Helpline. The Helpline provides a free confidential service for all Western Australians with financial problems and queries. The Helpline can be contacted on 1800 007 007. Alternatively, you can go to the FCAWA website, www.financialcounsellors.org and enter your postcode to locate your closest financial counselling service.

 The FCAWA’a contact details are:

            Financial Counsellors’ Association of WA

            Phone: (08) 9325 1617

            Financial Counselling Helpline: 1800 007 007

            Email: [email protected]

            Website: www.fcawa.org

Links to helpful websites are included in our policies.  They include the following:

Anglicare Western Australia

Men's domestic violence helpline

Accord West 

Women's domestic violence helpline

National Debt Helpline

National Sexual Assault Domestic Family Violence Counselling

Water Services Code of Practice (Family Violence) 2020