Q Until my wife died in April, our council tax was £170 a year and our rent £24 a fortnight. Now my council tax is £845 a year and my rent is £125 a fortnight. I have a State pension of £92, Industrial Injuries of £37 a week and a works pension of £37 a month. I am 79 and at my wits' end. I can't go on like this. Can you please advise me?

A You have been billed for your full rent and council tax without the rebates to which you are entitled. By my reckoning, your council tax should be about £60 a year and housing benefit should reduce your basic rent to about £4 a week. I am sending you a letter to show to the council to help sort out the situation.

Q A few weeks ago, you told a couple they could claim £15.90 a week Pension Credit, even though they had savings of £35,000. Our savings are less than half that, yet we get nothing. What savings should we have before we can claim?

A Pension Credit depends upon more than just savings. The couple you refer to qualified because, although they had significant savings, their pension income was relatively low. Generally speaking, a pensioner couple will qualify if their income is assessed at less than £233 a week. As savings of £35,000 are treated as an income of £58 a week, the couple in question would have had an assessed income of £193. If you do not qualify for Pension Credit, it must be because your income is assessed at more than £233 a week.

Q I am on Incapacity Benefit but my wife cannot claim Carer's Allowance for looking after me. Why not?

A Probably because you are not receiving the appropriate qualifying benefit. For someone to qualify for Carer's Allowance, the person they are looking after must have Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance at the middle or high rate for care.