UP to 21,000 single occupancy residents in South Ayrshire could face a surge in water prices as their discount could be revoked.

Labour MSP Colin Smyth has highlighted the SNPs plans to cut the 25 per cent single occupancy discount that is currently available for people in Ayrshire.

Analysis has shown that 20,567 in South Ayrshire would be affected if plans go ahead with pensioners and single mothers on Council tax band D seeing a rise of over £100.

MSP Colin Smyth explained that some of these individuals are already struggling financially and taking away this discount could have a negative effect on them.

He also signed a motion put forward to the SNP Government against the proposal.

He said: “The proposed plan to cut the single occupancy discount for water charges would see almost 70,000 people, living alone in Ayrshire being forced to pay an extra £100 a year for water charges.

“Many people who live alone are elderly or single parents and can be at greater risk of poverty”.

“For the overwhelming majority, the single persons discount is worth 25 per cent of the total bill.

“That’s a lot of money that the SNP Government are proposing to take away from single people, many of them pensioners, on fixed incomes”.

“Hiking up the water charges for people living alone by over £100 would be an attack on single, older people – who may be living alone because they are widowed – and on single parents who struggle to manage bringing up children on one income”.

“A lot of people will be worried that if the SNP Government press ahead with plans to scrap the single person’s discount for water charges, then they will do the same for Council Tax”.

“The SNP Government should not be penalising people for living alone and should take this proposed change off the table immediately to protect the incomes of single occupant households across Ayrshire”.