The leader of Bradford Council has dismissed reports that the authority is part of a Labour party campaign to scrap the single person discount for council tax.

Councillor Ian Greenwood told the Telegraph & Argus the ruling party does not intend to remove the 25 per cent discount for those living alone or single parents.

He added that an officer at the Council had responded to a technical consultation carried out by the Department of Communities and Local Government in connection with plans that would see local authorities fully responsible for council tax benefits.

The moves, which the coalition Government plans to introduce in 2013, are intended to reduce the benefits bill by ten per cent, which equates to £4 million in Bradford.

Coun Greenwood added: “There is absolutely no way that the Labour group has any intention to remove the single person council tax discount.”

Conservative group leader Coun Glen Miller said any move to scrap the discount amounted to an attack on the poor and vulnerable.