The charity making life better by water
Making life better by water
Boating can be a great lifestyle, but it can get tough at times. Here’s how we’re putting boaters in touch with the people who can help.
If you're a boater in need of help, or you're concerned about a boater who you think might be vulnerable and in need of support, please email the welfare team or call 0303 040 4040.
You can also contact the waterways chaplaincy for assistance.
In the first instance, use this checker to find your local authority. They have a duty to assist you with your situation. You can also call a local directory enquiry service to find your local authority.
The organisations below can also offer additional support:
If you are in financial difficulty, struggling with paying your boat licence fees or need advice on how you might pay a debt, the following organisations offer advice:
Many boaters aren’t aware that you may be entitled to benefits which can help pay towards licence and mooring fees – depending on your circumstances.
To check if you can claim benefits go to Turn2us.org or Entitledto.co.uk
The debt support services can help provide free, confidential and regulated advice to help with debt:
If you need to discuss licence or mooring fee debt, our dedicated teams can be reached via 0303 040 4040 for advice and support.
We want everyone to benefit from improved health, wellbeing and happiness that comes from being by water. Our equality policy sets out our commitment to promote equality for people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 and our approach to making sure everyone can access and use our waterways.
If you are a boater with a disability or long-term health condition, that makes it difficult to move your boat in line with our boat licence terms and conditions, you can apply for an equality adjustment.
To register at a GP surgery, you will be asked to give basic information including your name and date of birth. If you do not have a permanent address, you can register at a GP surgery using either a temporary address, care of address or the address of the GP surgery.
If you are struggling with your daily needs, you can have a conversation with your local council to find out what support you need in your day‑to‑day life. It’s there to understand what challenges you’re facing, what matters to you, and what help could make things easier.
Think of it as the council getting a full picture of your situation so they can decide what care or support you may be entitled to. This is called a Care Act Assessment.
To do this, you will need to contact Adult Social Services:
The assessor (usually a social worker or trained council staff member) will talk with you about things like:
It’s not a test — it’s simply about understanding your needs.
Last Edited: 9 April 2026
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