Resources: Quick guide to the Budget

1. Youth work's values lie in the personal and social development of the individual. But that doesn't mean these values exist separately from the economic life of the country. Those who remember recessions will know jobs disappear, budgets are slashed and important projects are closed. When the Chancellor makes his high-flown statements about economic stability being the foundation of our prosperity, he is not just talking about commercial companies. He includes the prosperity of work with young people.

2. On Thursday, many newspapers and web sites will carry budget calculators showing the impact on typical households. Try out different scenarios with young people. Look critically at who is regarded as "typical" and compare them with young people's lives. Given that most commentators think we are weeks away from a general election, talk to young people about whose concerns seem to matter most.