MORE than 8,000 Colchester claimants have been told they must pay more council tax.

Letters have been sent out to 8,139 residents whose Council Tax Benefits will be cut by on average £200 a year from this April.

The government has given local councils the responsibility of dishing out the benefits, while cutting the funding available to claimants.

Colchester Council has £10 million to award claimants in 2013/14, down from £12 million this year.

See Tuesday's Gazette for the full story