Although developing countries initially appeared to be shielded from the sudden stop in private capital flows that characterised the financial crisis from October 2008, they were later affected as the financial crisis spread to the real economy. In developed countries, household incomes are also stretched and consideration will need to be given for people on low income or with special needs who face increases in the cost of their utility bills and other costs in general. According to OECD (2009a), the allocation of public funds to WSS can be justified for a number of reasons, including to promote the consumption of merit goods (whose value consumers may not fully realise, such as household sanitation and hygiene) or to compensate for market failures, by rewarding WSS providers for supplying public goods (public health) and external benefits (such as avoidance of groundwater pollution).