Water bill support extended to more Western Australians in hardship

Water Minister Simone McGurk, WACOSS CEO Louise Giolitto and Water Corporation customer support team at the customer contact centre

• Start Over program expanded to help those in hardship get on top of debts earlier
• Applications expected to double with debt threshold reduced to $2,000
• Program co-designed by Water Corporation and Western Australian Council of Social Service
• Another initiative from the Cook Government to help Western Australians with cost-of-living pressures

More Western Australians experiencing financial hardship will be eligible for assistance with their water bills under changes to Water Corporation's Start Over program.

Water Minister Simone McGurk today announced Water Corporation customers with debt of more than $2,000 will have access to the program, down from the previous threshold of $5,000.

The two-year Start Over program, co-designed with the Western Australian Council of Social Services (WACOSS), pauses overdue debts while incentivising people to make regular, ongoing payments to cover current and future bills.

After 12 months, the total value of payments made will be matched by Water Corporation and applied as a credit towards the previous outstanding debt.

Outstanding debt is waived after two years of making regular payments on current bills, helping customers in genuine hardship get back on their feet sooner.

Introduced in 2018, Start Over has helped around 1,500 Western Australians in financial hardship get on top of outstanding debt.

By reducing the program's eligibility threshold, applications for assistance under Start Over are expected to double to support around 700 Western Australians in hardship each year.

The program changes were informed by conversations with customers in genuine hardship, as well as workshops with WACOSS and financial counsellors.

Other Water Corporation hardship programs include Water Assist, Time Assist and Medical Assist, as well as general support measures such as flexible payment plans and bill extensions, with arrangements tailored to individual circumstances.

To learn more about financial support options visit Water Corporation and search 'Help with paying your bill'.

Comments attributed to Water Minister Simone McGurk:

 "This important change will mean more people can access the help they need to get on top of debts.

"Like other Water Corporation programs, Start Over is in place to support to those who are in genuine hardship by working with them to make regular payments within their financial means.

"Since 2018, nearly 1,500 Western Australians have received support under Start Over, and through these new changes to eligibility, we expect this to increase, to around 700 applications a year.

"The Cook Government is committed to supporting those going through challenging times and helping them regain financial stability sooner."

Comments attributed to Western Australian Council of Social Service chief executive officer Louise Giolitto:

"The rising cost of living means many people who have not experienced hardship before are finding it difficult to pay bills, and that's why programs like this are so important.

"WACOSS and Water Corporation have worked together for many years to design Start Over and programs like it, and ensure they make a real difference to those in hardship.

"It's equally encouraging to see a government utility adapting the support it offers in response to the changing needs of its customers, and that's something we encourage more organisations to consider."