In February last year Thames Water set up a £5 million Trust Fund to offer struggling customers real help. Thames Water Trust Fund is an independent charity and is managed on behalf of its Trustees by Auriga Services. In its first year the Trust has helped more than 1,800 households across London and the Thames Valley with more than £1 million in financial aid.

Each application for assistance will be looked at in confidence by the Trust and is considered to see if and how the Fund can help. As well as considered whether a grant should be made to help pay off debts, the Trust also recommends actions that can be taken directly with Thames Water, including:

- Spreading the cost of bills by setting up an individual payment plan or opting for simpler payment methods like Direct Debit or payment card;
- The "Water Direct" scheme which takes payment directly from state benefits;
- The "WaterSure" tariff, which caps metered bills for qualifying customers that may need to use extra water.

If you would like to learn more about the Thames Water Trust Fund, please call 0300 123 6001 or visit http://www.twtf.org.uk