Proposals to see council tax benefits cut by ten per cent have raised concerns for residents living on "low incomes" in St Albans.

The changes, which will see central government hand responsibility for setting council tax benefit and distribution over to local councils and the funding available for councils to give council tax support will be cut by ten per cent.

Figures from St Albans District Council suggest people with an income of less than £183 per week will have their income support reduced by £6.60.

People earning more than £183, but less than £394 a week, will have their council tax support reduced by between £13.10 and £19.80 depending on income.

Councillor Roma Mills, Labour representative for Batchwood claimed "plans will penalise people who work but survive on low incomes and some residents will see rises of more than £550 a year" as a result of the ten per cent cut in funding for residents who receive support.

Councillor Mills, who attended the budget meeting on Thursday (September 20), said afterwards: "I am deeply disappointed and concerned about the impact of this increase on local people who are really going to feel the pinch.

"It doesn’t feel right to us.

"It is something that the Government should be taking seriously and should be looked at more urgently.

"It will be looked at in October but that is another month away.

"We just wanted the opportunity to see if we could lobby government and if there was any way of making this better for the people in St Albans."

Councillor Mills said she was disappointed she did not have the chance to raise these concerns at the meeting.

She said: "All members of our committee were concerned about these plans.

"We asked why we were not looking at increasing charges on second homes and empty homes to mitigate the effect on those on low incomes.

"We asked cabinet to look again at the choice and it is a choice to implement the full ten per cent cut.

"I had my hand raised and wasn’t given the chance to speak and lobby this.

"You have to ask what was the purpose in asking for our comments."

Plans to alleviate homelessness in St Albans were also announced at the meeting and a new temporary housing development will be opened at Brandom Mews next month.

However, Councillor Mills said the repeat actions taken by the Conservatives to address homelessness in the district were shown to be failing given the on-going increase in numbers in temporary housing.

At the end of July 2012, 68 families were still in temporary housing.

In response to criticism, Councillor Julian Daly, Conservative group leader and chairman of the meeting, said: "Proposals for council taxes will be discussed in October, as we always set out to do.

"Rather than having a mini debate about it on Thursday, we will look at the proposals properly with all the facts and papers.

"In terms of temporary housing, we are doing all we can to temporarily house people.

"Parental eviction, private rental eviction and domestic violence are the main reasons for homelessness.

"These reasons are not easy to predict and I don’t believe because of economic reasons.

"We are doing our best to accommodate these people."