For Your Benefit: Can I claim any pension credit when I'm 64?

A The Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit brings incomes of people aged 60 and over up to a fixed level, usually £109.45 a week for singles and £167.05 for couples. Savings Credit (maximum £16.44 a week for singles, £21.51 for couples) goes to people aged 65 and over who have modest incomes but who qualify for little or no Guarantee Credit. There is no upper savings limit but savings over £6,000 will affect what you get.

Q My parents, aged 79, have State Pensions of £51 and £119 a week and a monthly works pension of £191. They pay £49.84 a week rent and £95 a month Council Tax. They have £14,000 savings. My father has claimed Attendance Allowance (AA) because of the help he needs with bathing, dressing, oxygen, etc. Will this make any difference to other benefits?

A Attendance allowance does not affect Pension Credit and Council Tax/Housing Benefits. Currently, your parents are due Council Tax Benefit of about £10 a week and Housing Benefit that would reduce their basic rent to about £26.86 a week. If your father then gets AA, your mother could claim underlying entitlement to Carer's Allowance. This would mean they could claim Pension Credit of £6.68 a week and they could also claim a further £16 in Housing and Council Tax Benefits.

Q I am 75 with a State Pension of £134.11 a week, plus £6.58 Savings Credit. Can I claim anything else?

A Your income is too high for Guarantee Credit, but the Savings Credit you receive is the right rate for your income. However, you should also be claiming Council Tax Benefit that would reduce your annual bill to about £155.

Q Is it true that only heterosexual couples have their joint incomes taken into account for Working Tax Credit and that other earners in the household are ignored?

A Currently, yes. From next year, however, same-sex partners living together will have to make their annual Tax Credit claims jointly, the same as married couples and heterosexual partners must now