Water Poverty and Social Policy: A review of issues for research

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Abstract
Abundant evidence exists to suggest that increasing numbers of people in England and Wales are facing difficulties in paying for water services. The reasons for these difficulties and their consequences are not easy to disentangle yet it is essential to understand them if policies for their alleviation are to be developed in the context of increasing costs of water service provision. This article suggests how social policy research can address the main issues at three levels: first by looking at economic, environmental and political considerations underlying increasing costs, the need for water conservation and changes in charging systems; second, by understanding how ability to pay depends not only on the resulting size of water bills, but also on income levels and access to organisational arrangements to help with payments; and third, by examining the impacts of inability to pay – debt and disconnection – on living standards, health and well-being.

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