Q My wife and I both get Attendance Allowance of £37 a week. Apart from this, our weekly income is £207, which includes a War pension. Can we have our council tax of £607.44 a year reduced?

A If no one else lives with you and no one gets Invalid Care Allowance for looking after you, special rules apply. They mean that you are entitled to an extra £26 by way of Income Support, with no council tax to pay.

QWe are 79 and 80 with four-weekly State Pensions of £363.40 and £174.60. My monthly works pension is £173.37 and our savings are £6,750. Can we have our council tax of £677.05 reduced?

A Yes. By £5.60 a week.

Q I am 89 and get Income Support (IS) and Attendance Allowance (AA). What savings can I have without my income being affected?

A Being over 60 means savings under £6,000 are ignored for IS. Savings do not affect AA.

Q I am on Income Support (IS) living with my son, who has only Incapacity Benefit of £84.40 a week, and my daughter, who is working. What effect does this have on my council tax benefit?

A Being on IS, you are not expected to pay anything personally. Your son, because he is not working but not on IS, is assumed to pay £2.30 a week. Your daughter is assumed to pay between £4.60 and £6.95, depending on her income.

Q My aunt, aged 86, may soon need to go into residential care. She has the state pension and Attendance Allowance. How much will she have to pay towards her fees at the home?

A Social Services will place her in a suitable home. Her share of the charge will be set at a level she can afford, leaving her with £16.05 a week for personal expenses.

Q I have given up work to look after my wife, who has Alzheimer's disease. As she has top rate for care of Disability Living Allowance I could get benefit as her carer but could I still do a job?

A You can get Invalid Care Allowance for weeks when you earn less than £72