Q My wife and I are both 80 and cannot get pension Credit as I receive Attendance Allowance and 100 per cent Industrial Injuries Disablement Pension. Can we claim anything to reduce our council tax of £129 a month?

A As Council Tax Benefit is means-tested, entitlement to it depends upon your income and savings. If your savings are more than £16,000, you would only be eligible if your income was low enough for you to qualify for Guarantee Pension Credit. So if your savings are less than £16,000, you would qualify if your weekly income was assessed as less than £312. If your wife claims underlying entitlement to Carer's Allowance, you could qualify with an assessed income of less than £338. When your income is assessed, Attendance Allowance is ignored and every £500 of savings over £6,000 is treated as £1 a week income.

Q I am a widow of 73 with savings of £2,000 and a weekly State Pension of £84.50. I also have a civil service pension of £300 a month. Am I due any Pension Credit?

A Your income is too high for Pension Credit, but if you are paying more than £287 a year in council tax that is too much.

Q My State Pension is £98.86 a week and my wife's is £50.43. I have a pension from my former employer of £105 a month and Pension Credit of £8.21 a week. Our savings in the Post Office and our current account total £15,970. Are we entitled to any reduction in our council tax of £990 a year?

A As long as your savings stay below £16,000, you are entitled to Council Tax Benefit of about £16 a week.

Q All I have coming in is my State Pension of £65.48 a week and I have no savings due to prolonged illness. I cannot get Pension Credit, however, because my wife earns £210 a week. Why should I have to sponge off her?

A For means-tested benefits, the income of both partners counts. It was ever thus.