Pensioner Jean Gaffney said the Budget has left her "disappointed" as it does nothing to help older people trying to survive on the State Pension.

The 74-year-old, from Castlemilk in Glasgow, said she would have liked to have seen a contribution towards her fuel bills or a reduction in the TV licence fee for all pensioners, not just those 75 and over.

Ms Gaffney, who volunteers three days a week at Castlemilk Pensioners Action Centre, said: "One thing I found really helpful was when we were given extra money for our electricity, I really appreciated that and it really helped me so they could have done something like that.

"I would also like not to have to pay for my TV licence, it's quite a lot once you get on in years. It comes off every month and it's quite a lot for me so I was hoping they would do something with that but unfortunately not."

However, she added that she feels that any time pensioners have been given financial help, it is taken back off them in another way.

The divorced mother-of-two said: "To tell you the truth, every time I get a rise or anything like that, it just comes off me in the other hand. I'm never really any better off.

"But we manage to get by, most of the people that come to the centre, they do all seem to manage, obviously there are some who struggle, but overall they manage to come on all the trips and things we organise.

"We just save up a little each week to make sure we can still do things."

Ms Gaffney added: "I'm a wee bit disappointed with the Budget, but I watch a lot of programmes showing people abroad and how much they're struggling and the suffering that goes on there and I think we're not actually that bad. We're actually very lucky in a lot of ways."