Q My husband, who is 81, has a War pension. He thinks this will pass to me on death. Is he right?

A A War Pension does not pass on automatically to the widow or widower and in many cases it will not be passed on at all. It all depends upon the cause of death and the type of War Pension. The Veterans Helpline on 0800 169 2277 can give you more information.

Q I am a single man who worked full time for 38 years before going on to Incapacity Benefit. Will I qualify for a full pension when I reach 65 in January?

A It looks like it. A man must pay National Insurance (NI) for 44 years to qualify for the basic State Pension of £79.60 a week. NI credits, that you are given when you reach 60 or when you get Incapacity Benefit, will count as well. The Pensions Service will send out a claim pack four months before you reach pension age, so you should have had yours by now. Chase them up by phoning 0845 300 1084.

Q When we want new glasses, my wife and I apply for a Form HC3 which entitles us to partial help with the cost. Two years ago, before we got Pension Credit, I had to pay £28 towards my specs. Now I pay £55. Has Pension Credit made me worse off?

A Help with glasses is provided by a voucher, the value of which will be reduced as the person's income rises above a certain level. If Savings Credit has made you better off, you could well find yourself having to pay more towards your specs.

Q I am 80 and my wife is 71. My weekly State Pension is £125 and my wife's is £45. There is also my private pension of £70 a week and our savings of £10,000. Do we qualify for a Council Tax reduction?

A Probably. You should be paying no more than £700 a year.

Q With four-weekly State Pensions of £357.96 and £190.60, a monthly works pension of £344.26 and quarterly pension of £23, should we be paying full Council Tax of £960 a year?

A No. You should claim an £11 a week rebate.