Severn Trent Water taking £10PCW of my JSA - HELP!! never advised of this

KeithCP2 · March 1, 2012

Hi Everyone

I need some advice please since I have been out of work now for 2 1/2 years and can only get JSA for a single person,

I don't have any savings and water bill was and is still behind,

in March 2010 Severn Trent suggested I contact the trust fund,

I did and was with the trust fund from May 2010,

I had to pay £5 a week for 39 weeks,

I was doing so up until around December 2010,

I had paid 26 weeks, they had paid the same to my account, they check every 13 weeks,

when they checked in March 2011, they saw I had not paid the final 13 weeks, so cancelled the rest of the grant,

a friend did me a letter requesting to see if they could help, i

I tried for a crisis loan or something, but they said no,

everything went up in December 2010, food and everything, my electric is a key meter at present with eon,

but british gas are soon going to supply the electric with the gas, which is also a prepayment meter,

so after the trust fund refused anymore help,

I sent a letter to severn trent, in April severn trent replied and updated the records,

The trust fund suggested I contact severn trent to make a new arrangement, I did so early May 2011,

I told them it was obvious I could no longer afford the £5 a week,

so could they come to some sort of new payment arrangement,

a reply came a week later,

they said £5 a week was the minimum they could arrange,

and they would be making an applicaion for water direct and if successful would be deducted from my benefit each week,

I made enquiries in the mentime at the job centre to find out how much they would stop,

I was told £3.40 to cover any arrears plus a consumption allowance on top,

a friend a mine had this stopped from his benefit for water, and he had to pay £8.50 a week from his benefit,

the benefit for a single person at present is £135 every 2 weeks not £500 a month like this Government keep saying,

so you take away £17 each time for water then around £45- £50 for electric it does not leave much for shopping,

all my creditors are getting £1 per month from debts I had when I was working for 9 years previous to being unemployed,

I usualy spend around £30- £35 on shopping but remember this has to last me 2 weeks,

I don't smoke or drink and can't go out because I can't afford to,

every letter sent for a job is either not successful or you don't get a reply,

even after an interview most of the time you hear nothing else,

so as time went by I had not thought no more about the water until I was going through my paperwork just after christmas and filing it,

when I realised I had not heard anything from severn trent or the job centre regarding the water,

I asked my advisor in January this year,

all he said was nothing had ben set up and to ring them,

to ring them cost a lot of money, money I don't have, because like all phone numbers these days they are 0845 numbers which cost a fortune o phone,

the other day a telemessage came severn trent had at sometime had a system issue so no bills or reminders or anything had been sent out,

so this must have been since last May,

now they are wanting a figure for the back payment Immediately,

then another figure by April and the same in October, or I can pay the full bill in one lump,

there is no way I can pay any of the figures they mention,

I now do not no which way to turn,

they have been having a computer problem by the sounds of it,

but if they had accepted maybe £3 a week when I asked for their help,

i might not have had this problem now,

I am now depressed, and I suffer from Osteoarthritis,

I think it might the disability and my age of 54 which is stopping me getting a job,

even though it is against the law to discriminate anyone nowadays,

I understand about Equality and Diversity as we covered the subject on the College course I did last March

- June and got City & Guilds Certificates,

but to me it seems like it only applies to some and not all,

so any help what to do here would be helpful,

you cant see the C.A.B. without an appointment and you can't make an appointment as they have no e-mail and never answer the phone,

so please help if you can

Thanks

Keith

daverules · March 1, 2012

I am sure there will be people along that can give you some advice on this but in the meantime while your waiting perhaps you could put some

paragraphs in to your post, this will make it easier on the eye to read.

Hope you get your problem resolved.

victoria_siempre · March 1, 2012

Hi Keith

A water account is not a priority debt because they can cannot cut your water off or imprison you for it. you might agree to pay them £1 pm.

love

vic

Angel Steele · March 1, 2012

I worked for Severn Trent Water in their facilities department last year on a six month contract.

They've obviously spent all their money on their brand spanking nearly new (it's been open about 15 months) Severn Trent Centre building in Coventry and need some extra from you :lol:

victoria_siempre · March 1, 2012

Hi Angel

Sir John Egan, Chairman and former Jag, is actually quite a nice chap; however water accounts are not a priority for poor folk because they cannot cut one off or send you to prison. I do not advocate not paying water accounts for solvent folk because they have curious powers beyond your usual DCA bandit.

x

v

Angel Steele · March 1, 2012

Hello Victoria

My post a light hearted attempt to make Keith chuckle and realise that the situation is not as bleak as it seems.

victoria_siempre · March 1, 2012

Quite Angel

I should be buggered would I forsake a drink for a water debt.

x

v

Angel Steele · March 4, 2012

KeithCP2 · June 25, 2014

I wonder if I could get some advice, and if I can do anything please

I have been unemployed since september 2009, and

since the government cuts to benefits as a single person living alone, no savings or anything,

I still have my bills to pay, so I am on a basic jobseekers of £72.40 a week now, which is paid fortnightly,

at the end of March due to british gas paying me some winter fuel allowance, I was able to re-budget

and saw someone from the Money Advice Service,

the only thing I had to catch up with then was the water bill, which is in arrears,

I applied to severn trent trust fund in 2010 and was paying £5 a week by water card, this had to run for 39 weeks,

I failed on the last 13 weeks due to rising costs of other things food, electric etc, so

I applied as advised by the money advice service to the severn trent trust fund on 8/4/14,

they contacted me to let me know they will contact severt trent water and tell them I had contacted them,

the money advice service told me, if it was £5 a week I could just about manage it, but it would not leave anything for any emergencies,

on the 14th May the severn trent trust fund said they could not help me,

on the 16th May Severn trent got in touch by letter,

in this letter they asked me to call them on an 0845 number,

I am on virgin and that means an extra connection charge plus the call to an 0845 number,

but it also said in the letter, You Can Apply to have your payments taken weekly from your benefit.

I have enquired about this before, and they charge for any arrears then a charge on top,

one of my friends had it that way, he was paying around £40-£50 a fortnight out his jobseekers to severn trent

leaving him very little money for food, gas and electric, he does not have internet,

on the 27th May I receive another letter from severn trent saying to help me pay it they have applied for water direct

and they will receive £9.39 a week from my benefits,

I e-mailed and complained I do not use that amount of water as its on rateable value, and I am in a 1 bedroom council flat,

they said I applied for a water meter in 2005 and they could not fit one inside,

water meters are now smaller, and if it can't be fitted inside it can be fitted outside,

they said they could not do that in 2005 put a meter outside but nothing has changed outside,

I contacted my MP to see if he could help, he was no help he said they could take double,

I have not signed anything or authorised this payment to be taken, because I can't afford that amount,

I asked at the jobcentre today, all they say is contact severn trent or citizens advice,

the problem with the citizens advice where I am is they never answer the phone,

and you need to make an appointment then go down town,

so when my jobseekers comes this weekend as I signed on today,

I will be almost £20 less for the fortnight give or take a few pence,

how can these fat cats that make millions in profit treat the poor like that without even knowing what peoples finances are like,

I don't have a car, I phone plasma tv or anything like or or a load of kids,

like the benefits system suggests and gives it that stigma,

as I will have council tax £14 coming out the bank this friday and £12.12 for tv licence on the 1st

electric is about £20 a week on key meter,

so that won't leave me very much for food,

these forums have helped me in the past when I had trouble with lowell and three,

and various letters you advised me to send worked and did the job,

so what help can you suggest to me this time please,

I posted on twitter when the letter came,

but no one on twitter has replied yet from anywhere

I lookforward to your reply and possible help

Thanks

KeithCP2

KeithCP2 · June 25, 2014