To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement of the future of the direct payment scheme for water charges; and what plans he has to increase the priority of water charges in the order of payments included in the direct payment scheme. [77078]

The provision for making direct payments from Income Support and income based Jobseeker's Allowance for water charges will continue to operate when disconnection of household water supplies is prohibited. We are considering how the scheme will operate in the light of this policy development. We do not have any plans to increase water charges in the priority order within the direct payment scheme.