Cameron and Clegg accused of picking on weakest

Margaret Lynch asked a question of David Cameron and Nick Clegg at an event in Nottingham. When they answered, she came back: "You're really picking on the weakest people in society and it's completely unfair how you're applying these budget cuts."

Speaking outside the meeting she said she felt she had to press her point because she believed cuts to council services were going to have a massive effect on care services to the disabled. She said the care allowance she received from the Government – between 40 and 50 a week – would be effectively halved by having to pay for her own home care, which is now free.

Mrs Lynch, 52, said: "They say they've ring-fenced the NHS but, in terms of care services, because the councils have been so badly hit, it's going to have a big impact."

When wheelchair user Mrs Lynch, from South Normanton, Derbyshire, was asked whether she was happy with the answers she received from the two men, she said: "Well they're both professional politicians aren't they?

"They talked about 2bn more but I wasn't sure what for. We're talking about 28 per cent cuts for councils. I've told everyone, they should come back in 18 months time and we'll see what's really happened. Time will tell."

Student Jodie Goulding told Mr Clegg, the deputy Prime Minister, it was "not fair" that students who were going to university after her would have to pay higher tuition fees.

To applause, he said: "You said (during the election campaign] that you would scrap tuition fees – how do you feel raising them for everyone else?"

Mr Clegg, MP for Sheffield Hallam, replied: "I regret making that pledge that now, because of circumstances, I cannot keep."