A Clydebank couple were left "picking themselves off the floor" after receiving their latest building insurance bill to find it had soared by 50 per cent.
Ian and Jan MacLeod bought their home on Kimberley Street, Mountblow, from West Dunbartonshire Council in 1990.
When they purchased the property, part of the conditions of sale meant the couple would need to acquire their building insurance through the council.
Thirty years later, 80-year-old Ian was shocked to receive this year's insurance bill, which has risen by 50 per cent.
Ian said: "This will affect everybody who's bought a house and been forced to take out insurance with the council.
"It’s another £151 a year, plus we've lost £300 of the winter fuel payment, the council are charging me £60 to empty my bin, and my tax is up.
"They're just screwing you over.
"They are holding a knife to your throat, and what they're saying is you’re not allowed to leave.
"You've got to take their insurance so they can charge anything they like, and you've got to pay it. You're captured.
"There's no way that any insurance goes up that much."
Ian and Jan's bill over the last two years was £280, delivered by Protector Insurance on behalf of the West Dunbartonshire Council.
The council say they follow a tendering process and engage with brokers to ensure they achieve the "most competitive" premium.
Daniel Ryan, a homeowner in Whitecrook, bought his terraced home from the local authority in 2005.
The 75-year-old says he had to be "picked up off the floor" when he received this year's bill.
Daniel explained: "I thought it had to be some sort of mistake. It's massive, it's a 52% increase. There's no justification for it.
"Most of the people who are in the same position as I are pensioners who maybe bought their houses in their 40s and 50s.
"Because I'm in a block of four, I can't opt out of the insurance, I’m tied.
"My pension only went up three per cent, so between the rise in council tax, the rise in the building insurance, I am worse off."
Daniel's insurance rose by £172 this year.
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West Dunbartonshire Council say they have been impacted "across the board" by inflationary increases.
A council spokesperson said: “We sympathise with tenants who are struggling with the cost of living and encourage anyone having difficulty with their bills to contact us directly for support and advice.
“We follow a tendering process to procure the common buildings insurance and engage with a broker to achieve the most competitive premium we can for residents. The most recent contract had a fixed rate to avoid year-on-year increases for the past three years and a negotiated rate for this current year.
“Since that time, there have been claims inflation increases across the board, and this is reflected in the best premium currently available to us.”
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