Q I am a 66-year-old widow with a four-weekly State pension of £345.20 and monthly private pensions of £105.04 and £22.45. I pay £68-a-month Council Tax and my savings have dwindled to £5,500 as I keep dipping into them.

A I am not surprised. You should be claiming Pension Credit of £14 a week and Council Tax Benefit of £12.32 a week.

Q I live alone at the age of 81 and receive £146.79 a week State Pension and a works pension of £39.23 a month. I also have Attendance Allowance and savings of £7,000. Am I due any reduction in my £672.99 Council Tax?

A If no one else gets Carer's Allowance for looking after you, you can claim £12.60 a week off your Council Tax plus £15.30 a week Pension Credit.

Q My wife, aged 60, claims Pension Credit for us. I am 57 and signing on for National Insurance (NI) Credits but am being hassled to look for work. If I sign off could I purchase NI Contributions? Up to April last year, I had 40 qualifying years that would give me a 91 per cent pension.

A At 60 you will automatically get NI Credits without signing on. That will give you enough qualifying years for a full pension without having to purchase any contributions.

Q My wife does not earn enough to pay NI. Can she pay for contributions towards a pension and is it worth it?

A Voluntary National Insurance Contributions cost £7.35 a week. To find out if they are worth paying, your wife should first get a pensions forecast. By phoning 0845 300 0168 she can find out how much pension she has earned so far. Remember, when you have both reached pension age, she will get a 60 per cent pension based on your contributions.

Q As I am on Income Support, and my daughter who lives with me works part-time, I only pay £17 a week rent. If she earns more, how will what I pay be affected?

A If her gross income goes above £150 a week, you must pay £23.35 rent and £4.60 a week Council Tax. If it goes above £194, your rent will be £38.20 but your Council Tax would still be £4.60.