ALMOST a million Scots could be forking out up to £400 extra every year if ministers scrap the single-person discount for water bills and council tax, Labour warned last night.

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie led a debate at Holyrood as charities warned rising water bills could cause “financial hardship for many of Scotland’s least-well-off older people.”

The Scottish government is currently consulting over whether to remove the 25 per cent reduction on water charges. Last month, Ms Baillie challenged Nicola Sturgeon to rule out scrapping the discount as well as the 25 per cent council tax reduction. but the First Minister refused to do so.

The Scottish government says it wants to increase water discount for people who pay reduced council tax for other reasons. Ms Baillie welcomed this move but said it should not be paid for by vulnerable single adults.

“This is nothing short of an attack on single older people,” she told the chamber.

“They may be living alone because they are widowed. They may have a small works pension that means they don’t qualify for council tax reduction. They will find it difficult to manage.”

She said scrapping the water reduction could be the “the thin end of the wedge,” warning: “Today it’s the water discount they are after, tomorrow it will be your council tax discount. Welcome to the new Scotland where you are being penalised for living alone.”

According to a Labour analysis, water bills at the median council tax band D would soar from £328.05 to £437.40 without the discount.

If the SNP also scraps the council tax discount for singles, the combined band D bill would increase by more than £400.

Adam Stachura of Age Scotland said: “Scotland’s population is ageing at an alarming rate and the number of older people living alone over the next 25 years in expected to rise by nearly 50 per cent.

“We would urge the Scottish government and Scottish Water to avoid reducing the discount to single-occupancy homes, not least because they will be using less water. But the unintended consequence could lead to financial hardship for many of Scotland’s least-well-off older people.”

Former first minister Alex Salmond pledged to scrap council tax but the SNP later abandoned the plan. The demand was raised again by Scottish Greens before last week’s draft budget, but there are reports the party has watered down its red line.