Q Will I be eligible for Mobility Allowance to get a car? I phoned the Benefits Agency and they sent me the forms for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) but this does not seem to be what I need.

A DLA has two parts, one paid for care needs, the other for mobility. The mobility component is for people under 65 with walking difficulties.

Q My State pension is £320.04 four-weekly and my wife's is £190.04. She also has £225.27-a-month works pension. Our savings are £10,000 and I have DLA of £312 a month.

A You could get Pension Credit of £6.59 a week and your council tax reduced to £3.78 a week. But if your DLA includes the high or middle-rate care component, your wife could claim underlying entitlement to Carer's Allowance. This would give you £10 more in Pension Credit and reduce your weekly council tax to less than £1.

Q My husband has Incapacity Benefit of £112.64 a week. As he has DLA, including middle rate for care, I receive Carer's Allowance of £43.15 a week. Could we get Pension Credit and would it affect the full rebates we receive on our rent and council tax?

A Provided one of you has reached 60, you can get Pension Credit of £25.11 a week, which would include extra for you being a carer. Your rebates would not be affected. Claim by phoning 0800 99 1234.

Q I am a widow of 77 with a State Pension of £96.05, Pension Credit (previously Income Support) of £17.21 and I do not pay council tax. What would change if I took in a lodger?

A It depends what you would charge the lodger. If it were £60 a week, for example, you would lose about £10 a week in benefits. You should let the Pension Service know, but your Pension Credit may not be reduced right away.

Q My husband's weekly State Pension is £124.90 and mine is £46.91. I used my redundancy money to clear the mortgage, leaving us with savings of £14,000. Our council tax is £837.

A You can get Pension Credit of £6.40 and Council Tax Benefit of £12.25 weekly.