Q I am 72 with a State pension of £101 a week and £85-a-month works pension. My savings are £5,000. Can I get Pension Credit and, if so, will it affect my Housing Benefit?

A You are due Pension Credit of about £9.50 a week, but you will lose about £7.66 of this because of deductions in your Housing and Council Tax Benefits because of your increased income.

Q After April 11, when our State Pensions go up, our weekly income, together with my husband's private pension, will be £215.56. Our savings are £4,000. The only benefit we receive is a council tax reduction. Can we get Pension Credit?

A Yes, about £2 a week, but you will lose about 40p a week Council Tax Benefit.

Q Is it true that Cold Weather Payments are only paid to those on Income Support?

A Not quite. They go to certain people on Income Support who are sick or have young children, as well as those who get Pension Credit. The payments, which are £8.50 for each week of a cold spell, should not be confused with the Winter Fuel Payments. They are £200 and £300 and go to all those who are over 60.

Q I have been receiving Incapacity Benefit since 1998, after which my employer gave me a company pension. I have recently read that, if you have pension income of more than £85 a week, this can affect your Incapacity Benefit. My company pension is more than this, so should I be affected?

A Happily no. The £85 rule does not apply to people who have been on Incapacity Benefit continuously since before April 6, 2001. For most other beneficiaries, half of the amount by which their pension exceeds £85 will be deducted from Incapacity Benefit.

Q Should we be paying £875.58 a year council tax? Our weekly State Pensions are £172.99, works pensions £66.51 a week and we have £2,000 savings.

A Assuming the amounts for State Pensions you quote are before the April increase, you are due Council Tax Benefit of about £5.18 a week.