COUNCILLORS will tonight (Thursday February 1) decide whether to block the introduction of North West Water's pre-payment Smart Cards into council housing stock.

The North West Local Government Forum Against Poverty strongly opposes the scheme, which gives customers only one week's warning before they are cut off for non-payment.

If Hyndburn's housing services committee accepts the forum's recommendations, it will tell North West Water the council wants the final word over the scheme's proposed implementation in its property .

They will also consider contributing to Birmingham City Council's legal challenge of the water payment scheme, which claims it is breaking the Water Industry Act of 1991.

Councillor Bill Goldsmith, the borough's delegate to the poverty forum, said: "We believe this system will cause problems for poorer people.

"It is an instant, pre-payment system which works by customers using swipe Smart Cards in a unit installed in their home.

"Customers regularly have to pay for supply time at local post offices.

"If they don't top up their Smart Cards, and the time on their unit runs out, they will have just one week's paid-for emergency supply before being cut off.

Coun Goldsmith added: "Those in arrears will be paying extra each time they top up the card to compensate for the debt.

"No one can be expected to live without water. It is a vital commodity. If the householder does not have any money, he or she will be cut off."

Mary Ann Renton, the council's executive advisor, agreed: "We are very concerned about what it would mean to householders.

"North West Water is fiddling with our supply. It is likely that the forum's recommendations will be approved."

A North West Water spokesman denied they were breaking the law.

He said: "If people let their cards run out of time, we give them a week of warnings before cutting them off.

"The scheme is completely voluntary and aimed at helping people pay their bills, making them more disciplined and preventing them from amassing huge debts."

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