Q My Incapacity Benefit and my wife's State pension add up to £125 a week. I also have Disability Living Allowance for mobility and savings of £4,000. We get Council Tax Benefit but we have struggled for a while and no one tells us what we can claim.

A You should be claiming Minimum Income Guarantee of £31 a week.

Q I am a widow of 78 with a State Pension of £89.59 a week, a monthly mineworker's pension of £123.78 a month and coal money of £178.02 a year. My rent is £46.19 a week and council tax is £847.39 a year. My savings are £9,000. Will I get Pension Credit in October?

A Never mind October, you are paying £10 a week too much council tax and £20 a week too much rent. Come October, you can claim an extra £4 in Pension Credit.

Q My wife has developed Alzheimer's Disease and her condition is deteriorating. Is it worth her claiming Attendance Allowance (AA) or will it be deducted from the Council Tax Benefit we currently receive?

A It is always worthwhile claiming AA because it does not affect other benefits. Moreover, it could enable you to claim underlying entitlement to Carer's Allowance, which would bring more help with council tax and Pension Credit.

Q My husband and I have joint State Pensions of £142.22 a week, savings of £7,000 and my husband has works pension of £423.38 a month. I have Attendance Allowance (AA). Can we get a reduction in our council tax, which is £80.57 a month?

A Not as things stand but, as you have AA, your claim would be treated more generously if your husband claimed underlying entitlement to Carer's Allowance. Then you would get a £3 a week deduction.

Q I have been self-employed, paying into a private pension which matures when I am 65. Will this affect my State Pension or any other benefits?

A It will not affect your basic State Pension, but will be taken into account for means-tested benefits like Council Tax Rebate.