The public are being asked for their views on proposed changes to how council tax support is run in St Albans.

St Albans council has sought to make it easier for claimants, including those on Universal Credit, to work out how much council tax they have to pay.

The amount of money a Universal Credit claimant receives each month changes if they earn more than a certain amount, even if it is a matter of a few pounds. The council then has to recalculate, every month, how much council tax support that claimant receives.

To make this scheme simpler, St Albans council is proposing a banded system, which they claim is less likely to be affected by small variations in a person’s income. For example, if a claimant earns between £574 and £1,099 per month, they pay £75 in council tax a month. So a person can earn a few hundred pounds more than they did last month and not pay any more council tax.

The council’s portfolio holder for housing and social inclusion, Brian Ellis, said: “I very much hope people who may be affected will submit their views. We want to ensure any change we introduce is well-understood and supported.”

A person’s band can change if they are on the upper or lower limit of one, but the council says 525 out of the 689 people on St Albans council tax support will see either no change or change of less than £1 per week.

According to the council, 106 people will see an increase in their council tax support under this banded system.

Further details about how the scheme will operate are available at www.stalbans.gov.uk/housing/benefits/CTS/default.aspx.