WA Hardship Utility Grant Scheme (HUGS)
HUGS is the WA Government's one-off crisis grant for households that have fallen behind on an electricity, gas or water bill and cannot catch up without help. Unlike the Energy Assistance Payment - which is an ongoing daily credit for cardholders - HUGS pays a discretionary amount directly to the retailer to clear (or substantially reduce) the arrears. There is no concession card requirement, but you do need to demonstrate genuine financial hardship and have an overdue utility bill in your name.
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Quick Answer
You qualify when state = WA, in_financial_hardship = true, and overdue_utility_bill = true. The grant is not a fixed amount - it is sized by the Department of Communities and the retailer to the actual arrears, typically in the hundreds of dollars but up to the full unpaid balance in extreme cases. Apply through your retailer (Synergy on 13 13 53, Horizon on 1800 267 926, Water Corporation on 13 13 85, or your gas retailer's hardship line) - they lodge the application with the Department on your behalf.
HUGS is a one-off per household per 12-month period - it is a crisis tool, not a recurring monthly subsidy. If you also hold a concession card you should claim the Energy Assistance Payment in parallel for ongoing relief; the two rules do not conflict.
Eligibility Conditions
The eligibility block is an all set. Source rule: AU_WA_HARDSHIP_UTILITY_GRANT, group_type B, eligibility_only.
- State gate:
state = WA. The grant is administered by the WA Department of Communities through the state's licensed utilities. - Hardship gate:
in_financial_hardship = true. Genuine financial hardship - usually demonstrated by income loss, medical event, family violence, recent unemployment, large unforeseen expense, or being on a low fixed income relative to bill size. - Arrears gate:
overdue_utility_bill = true. There must be an actual overdue balance (electricity, reticulated natural gas or Water Corporation). HUGS does not pay forward; it pays down arrears.
Required source fields: state, in_financial_hardship, overdue_utility_bill. The excludes.any, conflicts and affects blocks are all empty - HUGS sits cleanly alongside any EAP, dependent child rebate or other state concession.
Income & Assets Treatment
HUGS does not have a hard income or assets threshold. The hardship test is qualitative and discretionary - the retailer's hardship team and the Department of Communities consider income relative to outgoings, recent life events, dependents, and whether the household has reasonable capacity to service the arrears through a payment plan.
Practical income markers commonly cited in approvals: a single adult on JobSeeker ($781.10/fortnight) or Age Pension ($1,178.70/fortnight) facing a quarterly Synergy bill above $400; a family on FTB-A with a $900+ winter gas bill; a working household with sudden income loss (redundancy, illness) and over $300 in arrears.
Assets are typically not the blocker - HUGS is designed for cash-poor households. However, retailers will check whether you are already on a hardship payment plan and meeting it; if you are simply choosing not to pay despite capacity, the grant will be refused.
How to Apply
Application channel per application_meta: retailer and phone. You do not lodge with the Department of Communities directly - the retailer is the gateway.
- Synergy customers: phone 13 13 53 and ask to speak to the Keeping Connected hardship team. They assess hardship and lodge the HUGS application with the Department.
- Horizon Power customers: phone 1800 267 926 and ask for the customer assistance team.
- Water Corporation customers: phone 13 13 85, request the Payment Assistance team and confirm you want HUGS lodged.
- Gas (Kleenheat, ATCO etc): call the retailer's hardship line. Smaller retailers route the same way through the Department.
- Embedded-network or village customers: the strata/village manager submits HUGS on your behalf to the underlying licensed retailer.
- Assessment usually takes 5-15 business days; the grant is paid directly to the retailer and credited against your account. You do not receive cash.
Documents to Have Ready
Required evidence per application_meta.evidence_required:
- Identity document - driver's licence, Medicare card, passport, or Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN).
- Overdue bill - the most recent statement showing the arrears balance and the date it became overdue.
- Hardship evidence - this is the discretionary heart of the assessment. Useful items: a recent payslip or employer letter showing reduced hours, a Centrelink statement of payments, a medical certificate for unexpected illness, an eviction or family-violence-related notice, or a written explanation of the hardship circumstances.
- If you are on a Centrelink payment, mention the payment type and your CRN - that often shortcuts the financial-hardship assessment.
- Be ready to discuss what payment plan you can manage going forward - HUGS is usually paired with an affordable plan rather than a full debt wipe.
Timeline & Renewal
Typical end-to-end time from your call to a credit hitting your account is 2-4 weeks. The retailer triages on the call, the application is lodged within a few days, and the Department of Communities approves or queries within 2 weeks.
HUGS is intentionally one-off per 12 months per household. The rule does not have an expiry date - it runs ongoing - but the 12-month cooling-off applies even if your situation worsens. If you face repeated arrears, the long-term combination is: an EAP/HCC ($342.85/yr ongoing), a retailer hardship payment plan, and a one-off HUGS as the safety net.
Real Scenarios
Scenario 1: Inês, single mum in Armadale, after job loss
Inês is 39, has two children aged 5 and 9, rents in Armadale (postcode 6112) and was made redundant in October 2025. She moved onto JobSeeker ($781.10/fortnight) plus FTB-A. By December 2025 her Synergy bill is $720 in arrears across two unpaid quarterly statements. She calls Synergy's Keeping Connected line, explains her redundancy and lodges HUGS. Outcome: assessed within 10 days, the Department of Communities approves a $620 grant, leaving Ines with a $100 manageable balance on a $40/fortnight payment plan. She also registers her newly-issued FTB-A-linked HCC for the $342.85/yr Synergy EAP going forward.
Scenario 2: Joaquim, retiree in Como, surprise medical bill
Joaquim is 68, single, lives in a 2-bed unit in Como (postcode 6152) on the Age Pension ($1,178.70/fortnight) and holds a PCC. A 6-week hospital admission in September 2025 left him with an unexpected $1,400 in carer/transport costs that he absorbed onto his credit card, and he has fallen $410 behind on his Water Corporation bill. He phones 13 13 85, the Payment Assistance team takes details and lodges HUGS. Outcome: $410 grant approved, Water Corporation credits the account in full. His ongoing PCC continues to give him the existing water-rates concession.
Scenario 3: Salvador, working couple in Bibra Lake, declined HUGS
Salvador (47) and his partner Vasco (45) work full-time in Bibra Lake (postcode 6163) with a combined gross income of $148,000/yr. They fell $580 behind on a winter gas bill because they were overseas and missed the autopay. They call Kleenheat and ask for HUGS. Outcome: declined - the hardship gate is not met because their income clearly supports the arrears. Kleenheat instead sets up a 3-month payment plan with no late fees. HUGS is reserved for cash-poor households, not for short-term cashflow administration issues.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming HUGS is monthly. It is one-off per household per 12 months. Treating it as recurring will end with a refused application.
- Applying directly to the Department of Communities. The Department only accepts retailer-lodged applications. You must go through Synergy, Horizon, Water Corp or your gas retailer.
- Missing the hardship narrative. Saying "the bill is high" is not enough - the assessor needs a hardship trigger (income loss, illness, family violence, sudden expense). Bring your Centrelink statement or medical letter.
- Confusing HUGS with the EAP. The EAP is a card-gated $342.85/yr daily credit; HUGS is a needs-based one-off arrears clearance. They cover different situations and can run together.
- Refusing to engage with a payment plan. HUGS is almost always paired with an affordable forward-looking plan. Refusing the plan ends the conversation.
- Embedded-network customers contacting the strata instead of the underlying retailer. The strata is the on-charger but the licensed retailer behind them is who lodges with the Department - ask the strata to escalate or provide the retailer name.
Related Links
- WA Energy Assistance Payment - Synergy - the long-term ongoing $342.85/yr daily credit for Synergy cardholders. Pair with HUGS if your hardship is ongoing.
- WA Energy Assistance Payment - Horizon Power - the same value via Horizon for regional customers; lodged through the same retailer call as HUGS.
- WA Energy Assistance Payment - ECES - the third EAP path for embedded-network and off-grid households. Different application route from HUGS.
- WA Household Electricity Credit - the universal federal $150 credit applied automatically to most accounts in October 2025. No hardship test, no card.
- WA Water Services Rebate - ongoing concession on Water Corporation service charges for cardholders. Pair with HUGS if water arrears is the trigger.
- WA Utility Charges Concession - broader concession for low-income households on multiple utility lines. Different test from HUGS but addresses the same population.
How much can I get from HUGS?
There is no fixed dollar amount. The grant covers all or part of the overdue utility bill, sized case-by-case by the retailer and the Department of Communities. Typical grants run from a few hundred dollars up to the full arrears in extreme cases.
Do I need a concession card to apply?
No. HUGS is not card-gated. The qualifying gates are state = WA, in_financial_hardship = true and overdue_utility_bill = true. Plenty of households without any concession card qualify if they show genuine hardship.
How often can I claim HUGS?
One-off per household per 12 months. It is a crisis-relief tool, not recurring support. If you face repeated arrears, the retailer hardship plan plus the EAP is the long-term path.
Does HUGS cover gas and water as well as electricity?
Yes. The eligibility field is overdue_utility_bill - which covers electricity, reticulated natural gas and Water Corporation bills. You apply through whichever retailer holds the overdue account.
Can I claim HUGS and the EAP at the same time?
Yes - they cover different situations. HUGS is a crisis grant for arrears already accrued; the EAP is an ongoing daily credit for cardholders. The two rules do not conflict.
Do I receive the money in cash?
No. The grant is paid directly to the retailer and credited against your utility account. You do not receive a cash transfer.
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