Money and Mental Health has awarded Anglian Water the first level of its Mental Health Accessible accreditation. This recognises that Anglian Water offers a foundation level of support and accessibility for its customers with mental health problems, and is the first of three levels that companies can gain through the accreditation. 

 

This rating is based on a rigorous and extensive evaluation by Money and Mental Health looking at whether Anglian’s service is designed with the needs of customers with mental health problems in mind. 

 

The Money and Mental Health team analysed everything from the accessibility of its digital platforms to product design and communications. Throughout the process the charity drew on feedback from its Research Community of 5,000 ‘experts-by-experience’, who tested communications from Anglian and offered ideas on improvements it could make. 

 

Money and Mental Health awarded Anglian its accreditation to reflect the measures it has implemented to meet the needs of customers with mental health problems. These include:

 

  • Providing multiple communication channels for customers to get in touch, including a two-way SMS during an incident. Money and Mental Health’s research shows that 3 in 4 customers who’ve experienced mental health problems have serious difficulties engaging with at least one commonly used communications channel (1), so allowing customers with mental health problems to use their preferred channel will increase engagement and help to reduce stress and anxiety.
  • Anglian has a Priority Services Register Incident tool which helps them identify those in most need of support when incidents or emergency situations occur. The tool uses live data which helps Anglian pinpoint who is in need of assistance and allows Anglian to react swiftly to provide support. Importantly, customers with mental health problems are classified as ‘high risk’ meaning they are prioritised for support.
  • Making it easier for people to get third party support through its Priority Services Register (a register that helps firms respond to customers in need of additional support), in a way that gives customers lots of choice and control over how and when they are supported by a trusted person. Money and Mental Health’s research has shown that four in ten people with mental health problems have wanted help with managing day-to-day finances from a trusted person (2) and so being able to get support with bills and other tasks will be immensely valuable.
  • Offering affordability support to more than 400,000 customers in 2024/25. Affordability support involves providing help to customers who are struggling to pay their water bills. Anglian has done this in a variety of ways including making sure customers are on the right tariff and providing flexible payment options.

 

Money and Mental Health’s Mental Health Accessible Programme works with utility providers (such as water and energy) as well as banks and building societies to help them understand the barriers that customers with mental health problems can face when accessing essential services and empower firms to change this. 

 

The programme was set up in 2019 after Money and Mental Health’s research revealed that customers with mental health problems face serious difficulties when engaging with essential services (3). The research found that four in ten (37%) people who have experienced mental health problems exhibit significant levels of anxiety when dealing with essential service providers (4).

 

Money and Mental Health is interested in working with other utilities firms and financial services providers to help them make their services more accessible. The charity does this through reviewing product design, communications, Management Information and governance, to help improve outcomes for customers with mental health problems. This also helps firms to demonstrate they are meeting regulatory requirements, for example under Ofwat, Ofgem and Ofcom requirements for the treatment of vulnerable customers as well as the FCA’s Consumer Duty.


Helen Undy OBE, Chief Executive of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said: 

“We are delighted that Anglian Water is the first utility company to receive the Mental Health Accessible accreditation. In recent years, we’ve seen real progress in the financial services sector on improving accessibility for customers with mental health problems, and it’s really exciting that Anglian is extending that progress to the utilities sector too. 

 

“All of us rely on essential services as part of everyday life. But too often people with mental health problems struggle to use these services, because they haven’t been designed with their needs in mind. That needs to change, and we hope today’s announcement can be a first step towards improving the outcomes that customers with mental health problems experience across the utilities sector.

 

“We’re urging other utility firms to follow Anglian’s lead so that we can start to make these vital services accessible to everybody in 2026.” 


Don Maher, Director of Customer and Operational Services at Anglian Water, said:

“We’re incredibly proud to be the first utility company to achieve Mental Health Accessible accreditation. As a purpose-driven company, this recognition is about more than meeting a standard - it’s about making sure every customer feels supported and understood, especially when life feels overwhelming.

 

“We know that mental health challenges can make everyday tasks harder, which is why we’ve worked to remove barriers for support. Our work here includes an £80 million package of support for vulnerable customers until 2030, to offer more ways for people to reach us in the way that feels right for them. In fact, over the next 12 months, we’ll be helping more than 300,000 people by putting together packages of support that are tailored to meet their individual needs.

 

“This accreditation is just one example of our commitment to keep listening, learning and improving our services to do the right thing for our customers.”