Customer Support Policy

How we support customers experiencing financial hardship.

1. Scope and purpose

Access to water and sanitation are recognised by the United Nations as human rights – fundamental to everyone’s health, dignity and prosperity.

In accessing our services, we recognise that residential and small business customers may experience financial hardship, which will vary in its extent and duration. Everyone’s circumstances are different and financial difficulties can affect people in different ways.

As an essential service provider, we actively support customers experiencing financial difficulty and ensure continued access to our services. We recognise that our support is one part of a wider support network, and work to strengthen this network through collaboration with other organisations.

This policy explains our approach to supporting customers who are experiencing financial hardship, and the types of support and services customers can expect from us.

This policy applies to residential and small business customers only. If you’re a large business experiencing financial challenges, we encourage you to get in contact with us.

2. Policy summary

We treat all customers with respect and understanding.

Our policy and programs are based on shared responsibility between us and our customers and supporting customers to determine the best approach for their needs.

We understand that it may be challenging for customers experiencing payment difficulties to reach out to us about their circumstances, including because they may not trust large organisations to have a sensitive and respectful conversation with them about what they need. It is critical that customers can easily access support, as early as possible in the collection cycle. We proactively seek to understand the barriers that may limit people’s access, including building awareness and confidence in the support we can provide.

We take customers at their word and believe that with support they can gain control of their bills and manage their debt. We listen and work to understand individual circumstances, setting up payment arrangements that are realistic and affordable. This approach aims to reduce debt levels and transition customers back to mainstream billing and payment processes.

We take a holistic and proactive approach, identifying customers and guiding them to support pathways as early as possible. We provide customers with information about our support programs and where appropriate, refer them to external agencies for additional support.

While customers are engaged with our WaterCare support and hardship programs, we won’t pursue them through regular debt collection processes or restrict their water supply. We won’t take legal action or charge any other recovery costs.

We offer a range of support options that can be tailored to customers’ circumstances – including the amount of time they need to become financially stable.

We’re committed to continuous improvement - learning and evolving as we work with customers, community organisations, financial counsellors and people with lived experience to ensure we’re responsive to our customers’ needs.

3. Definitions

Customer experiencing financial or payment difficulty	Residential or small business customers who would like to pay on time but don’t have the financial capacity to do so. They may identify themselves as having financial difficulties, or they may be identified by us, an independent accredited financial counsellor or a qualified accountant.
Small business	A business with no employees, including sole proprietorship and partnerships, or a business employing fewer than 20 people that has an active Australian Business Number.
WaterCare Support Team	A dedicated team trained to recognise and respond to issues associated with financial vulnerability and hardship, so they can respectfully work with customers, including referrals to external specialised supports.
Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria	The Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria helps resolve complaints between Victorian customers and their energy and water companies.
Financial counsellors and specialist support	We may refer customers to community agencies and financial counsellors who provide free information, advice, and advocacy to people experiencing or at risk of financial difficulty.

4. Early identification

We aim to identify customers experiencing financial difficulty early in the payment collection cycle.

Indicators

Some indicators that highlight a customer’s need for additional assistance are:

A history of frequent requests for payment extensions or payment arrangements that haven’t been met.
Inability to afford the cost of current usage and debt, even when smoothed over 12 months.
A payment history that indicates difficulty paying their account.
Previous applications for a Utility Relief Grant (irrespective of whether the application was successful).
Eligibility for a Government concession (e.g. Health Care Card, Centrelink benefit)
A sudden change of circumstances that adversely affects financial capacity to pay.
A referral from an independent financial counselling agency, community organisation or qualified accountant
Self-identifying as having financial or payment difficulties.
Being affected by family violence. Customers affected by family violence are immediately referred to our WaterCare Support Team (refer to our Domestic and Family Violence Policy)
An asylum seeker or refugee who has limited access to financial stability.
Impacted health or mental health and wellbeing.
A low level of income that is unlikely to change.
Unemployment.

Sensitive and respectful conversations

We understand that customers experiencing payment difficulties may have a range of pressures that limit their ability to openly engage with us about their circumstances.

Proactive and empathetic communication is crucial when engaging with customers in financial difficulty. We aim to create an open and supportive environment, where customers feel comfortable telling us what they need. We’re committed to listening without judgement to achieve an outcome that meets customer and our business needs.

Billing and collections process

Throughout our billing and collections process, we communicate to customers that support is available if needed.

All customer-facing staff, including our external debt contractors, are trained to listen for vulnerability indicators and refer customers to the WaterCare Support Team.

Referrals

A range of referral pathways help us identify and support customers experiencing financial difficulty:

Employees from any area of our business may refer customers to the WaterCare Support Team. Community workers and advocates are given our WaterCare Support Team’s contact details.
Referrals from other service providers through the One Stop One Story Hub.

Awareness and access

We recognise that many barriers limit customers’ ability to, or likelihood of, accessing the support they’re entitled to, as early as possible.

We proactively raise awareness and address barriers to accessing support by:

Providing appropriate self-service options for customers.
Using a 1800 telephone number so customers don’t incur additional costs when contacting us.
Promoting the support available to customers, including community and advocate organisations and other service providers.
Understanding and responding to the unique needs of different customers.
Using language that minimises stigma associated with payment difficulty and vulnerability and normalises accessing support.
Providing information about assistance and referral pathways on our website, including in diverse languages.
Making our Customer Support Policy available on our website, at our office, and sharing it with customers and community organisations on request.

5. Support for residential customers

Under this policy, we don’t use formal assessment criteria to determine a customer’s eligibility. We take people at their word and work towards supporting customers in a timely and tailored manner that’s appropriate to their capacity to pay.

Payment assistance

Support that customers may be eligible to access includes:

Flexible payment plans.
Ability to extend the due date for some or all of the amount owed.
More frequent billing or payment options.
Waived fees in accordance.
Regular meter readings and frequently reporting to customers on their water use.
Redirecting a bill to another person for payment if the person agrees in writing.
Access to government concession and grants including the Utility Relief Grant.
Assistance completing the Utility Relief Grant application and submitting it on behalf of the customer. Depending on the customers’ preference, we can also fill out sections of the application form and send it to the customer with instructions for how to complete and submit the form.

Flexible payment plans

We’ll work with customers, or their representatives, to agree on an affordable payment plan, regardless of whether it’s sufficient to cover current usage and outstanding arrears.
If there’s a change in their circumstances, customers can renegotiate their payment plan.
We’ll provide written confirmation to customers of the agreed payment plan, including a schedule of payments.
We may not offer customers a flexible payment plan if, in the previous 12 months, they had 2 flexible payment plans cancelled due to non-payment, unless the customer provides a fair and reasonable assurance that they’ll comply with the plan.

Arrange and Save incentive scheme

Customers can access our Arrange and Save incentive scheme if the payment amount they can reasonably afford isn’t adequate to cover both arrears and future estimated water accounts.
If customers meet their payments consistently (on time and in full), they will receive bonus credits in accordance with approved business rules. If customers continue to meet their payments over an extended period, they may receive a write-off of their long-term debt.

Support person or chosen representative

Customers can choose to authorise a support person or representative to talk with us about their account. We’ll let customers know this is possible directly or through their financial counsellor. This option is also communicated in our Customer Charter.

Interest payments, late fees and sale of debt

We don’t charge interest on any overdue amounts, charge late fees or sell debt for customers who are experiencing payment difficulties and receiving support in line with this policy. 

Exemptions while engaging with us

While customers are actively engaging with WaterCare Support programs, we will not:

Refer their account to external debt collectors.
Restrict their water supply.
Take legal action.
Impose any other debt collection costs on their account.

Case management and referrals

We work with customers to find appropriate solutions to their circumstances. Where required, we provide case-managed support. Our WaterCare Support Team:

Has the capability and skills to provide the required support and solutions.
Is appropriately resourced and empowered to manage the situation and negotiate suitable outcomes.
Has financial authority to effectively manage customer accounts. This includes suspending payments, reducing payment arrangements, and providing credits and write-offs in accordance with their delegated authority levels.
Understands that complex situations may require specialist support. In these instances, the team may refer customers to:
o Our specialist partner, CareRing, which offers free and independent financial counselling; or
o the One Stop One Story Hub. This means customers experiencing family violence or financial hardship only have to tell their story once to access support from multiple service providers.

Water efficiency focus

Managing water use is another way customers can gain control of their water bill.

When assessing a customer’s situation, the WaterCare Support Team reviews the need for water efficiency advice and the customer’s eligibility for water conservation and retrofit programs.

If customers need plumbing work that’s over and above the government programs available, we’ll provide options to suit their situation.

6. Support for small business customers

We recognise that the effects of financial difficulty are unique to each business. We encourage small business customers experiencing financial difficulty to stay in contact with us. We work with customers on a case-by-case basis.

Payment assistance

Support that customers may be eligible to access includes:

Flexible payment plans.
Ability to extend the due date for some or all the amount owed.
More frequent billing or payment options.
Redirecting a bill to another person for payment if the person agrees in writing.
Waived debt.
Referrals to government funded assistance programs where appropriate.
Referrals to Partners in Wellbeing, a free external support for small businesses.

Where a payment plan is agreed with a customer, we provide written confirmation of the agreed payment arrangement, including a schedule of payments.

We may not offer customers a flexible payment plan if, in the previous 12 months, they had 2 flexible payment plans cancelled due to non-payment, unless the customer provides a fair and reasonable assurance that they’ll comply with the plan.

Interest payments and sale of debt

We don’t charge interest on any overdue amounts, charge late fees, or sell debt. This includes customers who are experiencing payment difficulties and receiving support in line with this policy.

Exemptions while engaging with us

While customers are actively engaging with our Commercial Services team, we won’t:

Refer their account to external debt collectors.
Restrict their water supply.
Take legal action.
Impose any other debt collection costs on their account.

Water efficiency focus

Managing water use is another way customers can gain control of their bill. We can provide information or help small business customers manage their water use.

Accessible communications

We’ll provide clear communication to our customers or their advocate. Our Customer Support Policy is available on our website and on request.

We’ll translate this policy on request, and ensure we have information about the support available to customers in diverse languages.

It’s important customers can talk to us in the way they prefer. Customers who are deaf or hard of hearing can access:

National Relay Service

If you are d/Dead, hard of hearing, or have a speech/communication difficulty please contact the National Relay Service (NRS) by:

Step 1
Use your preferred NRS call channel detailed on NRS call numbers and links.

Step 2
Provide the NRS with our phone number 1300 304 688.

For more information visit: About the National Relay Service

TTY/Voice calls: call 133 677
Speak and Listen: call 1300 555 727

Customers who would like to talk to us in a language other than English:

Can call our free interpreter service on 9046 4173: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 5 pm
We’ve translated information on the services we provide into 23 languages. View translated information.
If you would like a copy of this policy in a different language, please call us on 1800 637 316.

6. Dispute resolution

To protect customers’ rights, we have escalation procedures to deal with customer complaints regarding this policy.

This includes providing customers with information about our dispute resolution policy and their right to lodge a complaint with the Energy and Water Ombudsman of Victoria.

7. Ongoing staff training and awareness

Staff training and awareness

We provide staff training to ensure that customers experiencing payment difficulty are treated with sensitivity and respect, in line with this policy. To ensure our training remains current and appropriate, we seek advice from our financial counselling partners on the content and delivery of the programs.

We communicate our approach to customer support and hardship to all employees to raise awareness and understanding of customer vulnerability.

Specialised trained staff – ‘people who get it’

All our WaterCare Support staff are trained to recognise and respond respectfully to the complex issues associated with financial vulnerability and hardship, so they can work with customers respectfully and appropriately, including referring them to external specialist support.

External partners

We provide training programs and procedure manuals to external partners, including debt collection agencies and our plumbing contractor. This ensures they deliver a level of service to customers experiencing payment difficulties in accordance with our operating procedures. These requirements are commercially based and documented in the terms and conditions of the contract.

Internal responsibilities

Different areas of our organisation are responsible for applying this policy.

Senior management is responsible for the strategic direction, operation, and management of our Customer Support Policy and programs. This ensures we maintain a strong management focus on supporting customers experiencing financial difficulty.

Supporting customers with financial difficulty is a responsibility shared by many teams and functions, including strategic policy, planning, design and development of systems and processes, marketing, communications, learning and development, as well as frontline customer-facing roles.

8. Continual improvement

We work closely with key partners to ensure our policy, programs, and processes are appropriate, responsive to community needs, and reflect best practice. This includes financial counselling agencies, advocacy bodies and service providers, the Essential Services Commission, the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, and the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria.

The Board or delegated Committee, along with the Executive team, monitors the effectiveness of the Customer Support Policy and related procedures. They review this policy and the support available to customers annually, or sooner if needed.

9. Authorisation

The Board approved the Customer Support Policy at the Board of Directors meeting on 24 October 2024.

Date	Summary of changes	Authorisation
21/10/2009	New policy provided to Board for approval	Authorised by YVW Board of Directors Meeting
07/07/2011	Update to Hardship Policy
26/08/2014	Update to Hardship Policy: policy rewrite
31/02/2019	Update to Hardship Policy: team name
31/01/2023	Update to Hardship Policy: reflect changes in Water Industry Standard, effective 01/03/23	Authorised by YVW Board via circular resolution
24/10/2024	Update to Hardship Policy: merged policy and customer guidelines, policy title, and simplified language	Authorised by YVW Board of Directors Meeting

Appendix 1 – related documents

Water Industry Standard - Urban Customer Service	Essential Services Commission
Water Industry Act 1994	Victorian Government
Privacy & Data Protection Act 2014	Victorian Government
Health Records Act 2001	Victorian Government
Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006	Victorian Government
Residential Customer Charter	Yarra Valley Water
Business Customer Charter	Yarra Valley Water
Privacy Policy	Yarra Valley Water
Domestic and Family Violence Policy	Yarra Valley Water
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy	Yarra Valley Water
Code of Conduct	Yarra Valley Water