QMy husband has Disability Living Allowance plus Incapacity Benefit of £72.15 a week. My State pension is £64.40 a week and I have a private pension of £38.69 a month. Our savings are £12,500. Can we get a rebate on our rent of £260.58 a month and council tax of £89.79 a month?

A Yes. About £14 a week off your council tax and Housing Benefit that will reduce your basic monthly rent to about £43.

Q I am 79 and have never claimed benefit before. Am I due anything? I have a weekly State Pension of £88.96 and monthly occupational pensions of £152. My working son lives with me and my council tax is £897.29.

AYou can get a council tax rebate of £6 a week, even more if your son earns less than £293 a week gross.

QIs Pension Credit (PC) the same as Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG). We cannot get MIG as our pension income is £169.59 a week, though we have not much in savings. We get rent and council tax rebates. Are these affected by PC?

A MIG brings someone's income up to a set level. People aged 65 plus on MIG with savings, private pensions etc. will get PC on top of this. People, like you, who just miss out on MIG will also get PC. In your case this will be £13 a week and it will not affect your rebates.

QAs a working woman I will be due my State Pension next month but want to carry on working. What are my options?

A You can take your pension now and it will not be affected by your earnings. Or you can put off taking it for up to five years and get an extra 7.5 per cent for every year of deferment.

Q I receive Incapacity Benefit (IB) of £72.15 a week but my Retirement Pension will be less than this when it becomes payable in 2004. As I am a woman this means age 60. Can I continue to draw IB?

A No. It must stop at pension age.