Jeremy Hunt’s increase in the minimum wage and cut to National Insurance has been branded ‘too little too late” and leaves people “worse off” under the Tories.

The Chancellor upped the minimum wage by more than £1 an hour, increased Universal credit by inflation and cut National Insurance.

He said it would incentivise work.

The measures apply to the whole of the UK, with Income Tax largely devolved to Scotland.

The National Minimum Wage will go from £10.42 an hour to £11.44 in April and apply to workers aged 21 and above.

The 18 to 20 rate will rise from £7.49 to £8.60.

Universal credit will go up in line with September’s inflation rate, 6.7%.

The state pension will also rise, by 8.5% in line with average earnings.

It means an extra £900 a year for someone on full state pension.

On National Insurance the Chancellor cut the rate from 12% to 10%.

The government said it will save more than £450 a year for a person on the average salary of £35,000.

The Chancellor said high employment taxes “disincentivise the hard work we should be encouraging".

He said: "If we want people to get up early in the morning, if we want people to work nights, if we want an economy where people go the extra mile and work hard, then we need to recognise that their hard work benefits all of us."

Politicians in Scotland said it doesn’t change the fact people are struggling with increasing bills and lower wages in real terms.

Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour leader, said: “After 13 years of chaos, decline and broken promises, no-one believes a word this disastrous Tory government says.

“Nothing the Chancellor announced today comes close to changing the fact working people are worse off under this Tory government.

“Mortgages are up by more than £2,000 a year, bills are sky high and real wages have fallen on their watch.

“Predicted economic growth has been revised down year after year and our economy is flatlining.

“We need a Labour government to deliver real change, making work pay, driving down energy bills and delivering the fastest growth in the G7.”

Drew Hendry MP, SNP economy spokesperson, said: "This Tory budget is far too little, too late for the squeezed majority of households - and it shows why Scotland urgently needs the full powers of independence to boost incomes and grow our economy.

"With UK energy bills, mortgages, rents and food prices soaring, the very limited measures in the Chancellor's statement won't touch the sides for most households who have seen their monthly costs go through the roof - and will still be hundreds of pounds worse off.

"This is yet another con trick from a Tory government that trashed the UK economy, failed to match the SNP government's council tax freeze and Scottish Child Payment - and has refused to devolve powers to the Scottish Parliament so the SNP can act where they won't.”