Pensioners Ted Lainchbury, 79, Ann, 73, live in Sycamore Road, Botley, Oxford.

Mr Lainchbury said: "It's good news that the winter fiuel payments are going up from £200 to £250 but it's a bit of a blow that there's no good news in pensions.

"As non-smokers and non-drinkers we are not affected by these increases. We are please about the fuel duty being postponed although it's bound to go up soon.

"Lots of our bills are going up at the moment and there's not a lot of great news in this budget.

"If anything it seems to be the vaguest Budget we've ever seen.

"Nothing concerns anything that affects today. It's all about the future and Alistair Darling seems to be concentrating more on foreign aid when he could be looking more towards making things better here at home.

"In some respects we are disappointed by the budget. In others it doesn't do us any real harm. The bad news will probably come from the council if they put up our council tax."