Helena says: “To be frank, no, I’m not feeling it. What you can see is that there’s more people being positive, there’s more money in the system. I think that’s very clear.

“Currently we spend an awful lot on childcare but as I’m going into more full-time work I imagine that’s going to increase quite rapidly. In Norway, my home country, childcare costs a fraction of what we have here.

“Food prices, definitely people are feeling that. We’re feeling that — especially as we try to make the right food choices in what we believe in.

“My line of business and line of thinking is very much around the organic movement and local farms and it’s costing an arm and a leg. We could probably halve our food bills if we didn’t go out and buy proper food.”

What more can the Government do to help?

“The cost of childcare needs to come down. Mothers like me should not be faced with the question that if they go back to work pretty much all of that will go straight back out for childcare. It’s worthwhile for mothers to go out and work, it’s important for the working population. If that means paying a bit more tax for childcare that might be a way forward. Or maybe there could be a way of collaborating with businesses to help their employees back into the workplace.

“I’d like to see the cost of proper food come down but I also want to see the price of things like Coke or chips or chocolate go up.

“The environment is a huge thing for me. I definitely want to see things being put into law, more legislation involving business behaviour. You can say as a government ‘look we’ve got a growing economy’ but at what cost? That’s not sustainable growth, we create a bubble where people spend more then they get into debt.

“I find it really bizarre that we only measure the success of the economy by what’s coming into the till. It should be about building a long-term culture.”

What more can the Government do to help?

“We were looking really hard to find a house under £250,000 so that we were within the one per cent stamp duty cut off. I think it’s ridiculous that it goes from one to three per cent. An extra 10 per cent in mortgage terms is not that much but trying to find an extra £5,000 in cash to pay stamp duty is a big ask.”

HIGH EARNER

Ross Marshall, 34, chief executive of Yourgolftravel.com and speaker at the Fast Growth Entrepreneurs Club.

Income: £80,000+

Lives: One-bedroom house in Kensington & Chelsea.

Outgoings: £1,000 on food (including eating out), £500 on household bills, no mortgage or children, puts money into savings and a racehorse syndicate.

Are you feeling the benefits of the economic recovery?

“We’ve grown every year during the downturn — we like the opportunity to be aggressive and buy other businesses.

“Maintaining low interest rates has allowed us to borrow and thrive, which means we’re reaping the benefits having invested aggressively during the downturn. Bank interest rates mean our expansion strategy has been better than sitting on the money and doing nothing with it.

“Being too cautious is always a great risk for any business.”

What more can the Government do to help?

“I believe that George Osborne has done a good job by clearing up the mess that the last government left us.

“Interest rates have been very good for business, but maybe not so good for savers.

“Osborne could reduce VAT and corporation tax further.”

WHITE VAN MAN

Self-employed removal man George Gregoriou, 43, owns AboutThisVan.co.uk. A father of two, he lives in a three- bedroom house in Watford.

Income: £30,000

Monthly outgoings: mortgage, £1,500, food and bills, £1,000.

Are you feeling the benefits of the economic recovery?

“I have three vans and I employ two other guys part-time. We work across London, all of Middlesex and south Hertfordshire.

“I’m glad the Government hasn’t put us into more debt, that’s a relief. I’m really scared of Labour doing it, especially Ed Balls — he’s one person I trust less than Ed Miliband.”

What more can the Government do to help?

“If they could reduce fuel duty that would be a big help because it’s one of our main costs. It means I have to think twice about taking on long-distance work, as it is barely viable at times given the cost of diesel.

“I know there is no chance of a reduction in VAT but any funds I have are cleaned out of my business account by the quarterly payment of VAT.

“There is one budget per generation that makes a difference and if VAT was cut to half this would really change the economy, but it’s not going to happen.

“As consumers, we have to pay over the odds for everyday goods and our weekly shopping. I’d like to see the Government promoting British industry more and importing less.”

MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGNER

Nikki Mattocks, 17, an A-level student and volunteer for Rethink mental health charity, lives in a Croydon council house.

Income: Nothing, only what her mother can afford.

Outgoings: Mobile phone: £20 monthly.

Are you feeling the benefits of the economic recovery?

“We’re not feeling the benefit and many things are incredibly difficult financially, it’s more difficult to get by.

“With the budget cuts, health services can treat fewer people and the system is failing people.

“When I was 14 I went to my GP because I was on a downward spiral after a traumatic event. The GP said it wasn’t severe enough, but it got worse and worse. I became suicidal and was self-harming.

“It took months for the local mental health services to see me for weekly one-hour sessions. At certain points of my journey I became really ill and had to go to an in-patient unit. But because so many beds are being cut in London I was sent to Berkshire, which made it difficult for my dad to visit. He is a self-employed window cleaner and had to work a lot more to be able to afford to come and see me.”

What more can the Government do to help?

“People with a mental health problem should be treated straight away — if you had a physical problem you wouldn’t be told to come back in eight weeks. There need to be more mental health beds in London and better early intervention so it doesn’t reach that point in the first place.”

SMALL BUSINESS OWNER

Jez Galaun, 38, runs Brixton Brewery with Mike Ross, also 38. They founded the independent microbrewery, situated in two railway arches in Brixton, last year.

Turnover: £300,000 this year; next year anticipates £500,000.

Staff: Three full-time, two freelance plus three family members pitch in.

Company’s biggest expenses: Staff, rent and energy.

Are you feeling the benefits of the economic recovery?

“We probably are beneficiaries of the current strength in the economy because we produce a high-quality craft product. I guess a concern is whether the recovery is sustainable.”

What more can the Government do to help?

“A corporation tax break for micro or nano-sized companies in the UK would go a long way to support growth. The Government has taken steps to attract big business to the UK by slashing corporation tax. However, small companies have paid a consistent tax rate of 20 per cent over the same time, which is now only 1 per cent less than big businesses pay.

“Better regulation of the energy market would be welcome to control rising costs. We’ve also been penalised for taking on another arch as we will forfeit the Small Business Rate Relief we receive on our first premises.”