Slough’s poorest families will be ‘clobbered’ with higher council tax bills under plans to cut discounts, the Labour Party has said.

Conservative council leaders are considering reducing council tax discounts currently given to low-income households to help plug a huge gap in its funding.

But Labour councillors have said there is ‘no justification’ for the plans. Pavitar K Mann – the  leader of Slough’s Labour councillors – said: “I fully accept that there are tough decisions to be made about council spending, but it all comes down to the political choices we make.

“The previous Labour administration chose to protect and expand the council tax support scheme to our most vulnerable residents. The Conservatives have chosen to clobber them with higher bills, affecting more than 6,500 people, many of whom have children in their household.”

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The council currently operates a sliding scale of discounts for households on low incomes under its council tax support scheme – with unemployed people exempt from paying.

But under the proposed changes, unemployed households would have to pay 30 per cent of a full council tax bill – costing them an average £468 a year.

Other homes to be hit include those on incomes between £115.38 and £461.53 a week. On average, the cuts to the discounts would mean an increase of £279 a year for families who receive them.

Plans say the changes could raise an extra £1.7 million a year for the cash-strapped council – although this doesn’t account for any council tax that might go unpaid.

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A fund of £175,000 would also be set up to help those struggling to pay their higher amounts.

The council has launched a consultation on the changes – with a survey that can be completed on its website or on paper at council hubs. This is set to end on December 29.

But Labour councillors say consultation period is too short – and timed to ‘sneak’ the changes through. They say the proposals should have been announced in the summer, when they claim plans were first developed.

Conservative councillor Wal Chahal – responsible for finance – said the changes are needed to secure more financial support from the government.

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He added that, if brought in, it would bring Slough’s council tax support scheme in line with other councils in Berkshire such as Reading. Slough Borough Council is currently the only authority in the county of offer a 100 per cent discount.

He told the Observer: “We went to the government with our begging bowl and said we need some more help because we’re getting massive stresses in adult social care and temporary accommodation.

“If I’m going to ask the government for more help we need to show them we’ve done everything we can.”

Councillor Chahal also said the proposals were only announced this month as finance staff needed time to research various options.

He added: “I strongly believe in supporting those who are the most vulnerable. I am going to make sure that anybody truly in hardship gets access to funds.”