PEOPLE are being asked to help decide who receives council tax benefit in a town after £1.6m Government cutbacks.

Hartlepool Borough Council officials are seeking views on plans for a Local Council Tax Support scheme, exclusive to Hartlepool, which will set new rules as to which people qualify for council tax benefit and how much they receive from next April.

This follows the Government's decision to abolish the council tax benefit scheme, meaning some people receive much less help.

The council cannot afford to offset this reduction in funding from its own budget because it faces spending cuts of nearly £10m over the next two years.

Councillor Paul Thompson, the council's portfolio holder for finance and corporate services, said: "We face some very difficult decisions."

Low income pensioners who make 43 per cent of all council tax benefit claims in Hartlepool, will be protected and unaffected by the changes.

But the other 57 per cent of claimants could receive a council tax bill for the first time where previously they were not required to pay anything or a higher bill.

The council is consulting with residents until November 9. They can comment by going to surveymonkey.

com/s/HBC-LCTS or call the council's benefits team on 01429-284188.