Chancellor John Healey is set to unveil his first Budget on Wednesday. Unlike in previous years there have been very few leaks about what will be in it, though Healey's tax and spending plans will be under close scrutiny at a time when government borrowing costs are at "historic highs". BBC News has been speaking to people on a range of incomes on how they feel about their finances and what they would like to see in the Budget.
Chloe Chin-Saad: 'I'm a single mum on £41,000 and limit my weekly shop to £40.'
Chloe's biggest worry is the cost of living. Her husband passed away four years ago and she's bringing up their 16-year-old son alone. She's very grateful the rent for her south London maisonette is subsidised through a housing association, but says life was easier when she shared the bills. "Two incomes make a massive difference."
Her energy bill has risen sharply over the past year and she now pays about £200 a month on gas and electricity. "We try to be more aware, we think more about how long we run the hot water when we do the dishes." Chloe, 40, and her son have cut back on luxuries like going to M&S and the cinema, and she now tries to limit the weekly food shop to £40. But she can't do anything to reduce her £200 council tax bill, or the amount she spends on medicines for her various health conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis. Chloe wants to see more help for single-parent families. "I don't access benefits but I work full-time and it's hard. Can the government do anything else to help? Something on our tax bill perhaps."
Robert Portlock: 'I earn £22,000. Saving for a house is impossible'
Robert Portlock, 29, has always lived with his parents in Gateshead and would love to move out. But he doesn't think he can afford to. Rent would be his biggest concern, he says, explaining that a small flat in his area would cost him about two-thirds of his monthly wage. "Council tax and energy bills would add to it. Food too. I'd need a TV licence, broadband, my car and some money to socialise. By that point I'd be in the minus."
Robert's biggest expense currently is his car, which he says he needs for his 32-mile round trip to work at Newcastle Airport. But he's paying £750 a month in car finance, insurance, fuel and tax. He wants the chancellor to cut fuel duty and income tax, or increase the personal allowance - the amount of income you do not have to pay tax on - to about £16,000, up from £12,570 currently. He would like to get on the housing ladder but for now it feels a distant prospect. "Saving for a house is impossible at the moment."
Emily Nelson: 'I get £338 UC per month. I'm trying my best'
Emily Nelson completed her A-levels last year and like thousands of her peers has been unable to find a job since leaving college. The 19-year-old from Swindon wants to be an animator but in the meantime is applying for retail and sales roles and apprenticeships. Most of the time, she doesn't hear back from potential employers. "I'm trying my best, it's all you really can do. It's kind of suffocating in a way. You see everyone else managing, and you feel like you're not."
She wants the government to provide more funding to businesses so they can take on more young employees. She'd also like to see more money for training and the government's Jobs Guarantee scheme extended. The scheme, being rolled out across England, Scotland and Wales, guarantees fully funded, six-month paid jobs for 18 to 24-year-olds who have been on universal credit and looking for work for 18 months. But Emily thinks people should be eligible after a year.
Dave Herbert: 'I earn £30,000 and dread filling up my car'
Dave Herbert, a professional driver who moves cars between showrooms and does deliveries, says fuel prices have been "crazy" this year. He spends around £350 a month on petrol for work and personal use. That's 40% to 50% more than at the start of the year, he says. He has to commute into Cardiff, a 62-mile round trip from his home in Ynysddu. "I'd love to have a hybrid car but even an entry-level used car is too expensive."
The 48-year-old, who is married with a 12-year-old daughter, says he has to find the extra money for fuel "from an already tight budget" and "dreads" filling up at the pump. "The best thing they could do at the Budget is drastically remove or reduce fuel duty for a period of time."
Jonathan Whitwam: 'I earn £150,000 and would be happy to pay more tax'
Jonathan Whitwam, who recently joined the Labour Party, works in finance and says, in addition to his mortgage, his biggest outgoing is supporting his two daughters through university. He and his wife, who live in Essex, pay their rent, which is around £18,000 per year. His daughters will start their working lives with between £45,000 to £60,000 of debt each, plus interest, which will be compounding at £5,000 to £8,000 per year.
"I have no objection to paying for degrees as I think they are a great way of broadening horizons and having great life experience. But I think the interest should be waived or capped below 1%, otherwise it's a noose around their neck for a substantial part of their lifetime." More generally, Jonathan, 52, would welcome taxes being put up for higher earners like himself in the name of "redistribution". He would also like to see a one-off wealth tax for people with assets worth over £10m and new taxes on the oil and gas and banking sectors. "If we want better roads, hospitals, schools we need to raise more tax."
Christine Morris: 'I have a £15,000 pension. I'm spending more of my savings'
Christine Morris, from Worksop, has been retired for eight years and lives on a state pension combined with a small private pension her late husband left her. "It is very difficult to balance the books," the 78-year-old says. "I do go on holiday, but I'm spending more of my savings to live."
Although the prime minister has asked ministers to look at removing standing charges from gas bills, Christine thinks there should be some relief for people who live alone when it comes to standing charges on electricity bills, which are typically higher. She would also like the government to extend access to pension credit, a means-tested benefit for people who have reached state pension age and are receiving £238 or less per week. Christine currently receives £241 and so just misses out.
