Bradford Council is formally consulting on proposals to change the amount of support low income households receive in council tax benefit.

The Government is scrapping the benefit from next year, replacing it with local support schemes, and each local authority will have to decide how much help they can provide.

But the amount the authorities receive from the Government is being reduced by ten per cent, which leaves Bradford with an estimated shortfall of around £5 million.

Under the Council’s proposed new scheme everyone of working age would need to make a contribution to their council tax.

Pensioners would be protected from the cuts, but others face having to pay up to 25 per cent more.

The consultation will close on November 30, and final decisions will be made later in the year.