OTTAWA - The federal budget is sprinkled with a few dollars for families and cash-strapped seniors, but it's not near enough for the opposition.

The Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois all say they will vote against the budget, killing its proposed measures and triggering a May election.

Single, low-income seniors would have seen a boost of up to $600 a year under improvements to the Guaranteed Income Supplement, while couples would have received up to $840 extra. The pledge went only partway toward meeting an NDP call for a big boost to pensions.

Parents enrolling their children in arts and recreation programs, those looking after ill relatives, and homeowners looking to cut their energy bills would also have seen a small savings on their tax bill.

The proposed $500 tax credit for arts programs for children would have saved parents $75 a year.

"Whether it's dance or music lessons or art camp, it's a great way to make friends and develop their creativity," Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Tuesday.

The program was to be similar to the fitness tax credit aimed at children that came into effect in 2007.

Ottawa also introduced a $2,000 family caregiver tax credit that would have been worth $300 for caregivers of dependent relatives. The change was expected to help more than 500,000 Canadians looking after their relatives. That initiative borrowed from a similar Liberal pledge, but didn't offer as much help.

Homeowners looking to make their homes more energy efficient, whether it be with new windows, high-efficiency furnaces or better insulation, would have also benefited from the extension of ecoENERGY Retrofit-Homes program by a year.

The NDP had called for continuation of the program which offers homeowners up to $5,000 in federal grants on improvements that increase energy efficiency.

A volunteer firefighters tax credit of $3,000 would have saved $450 for those who perform at least 200 hours of service a year.

The government also wanted to close loopholes related to RRSPs that it were expected to add $100 million a year to government coffers.

And those looking to donate flow-through shares -- which are eligible for mineral exploration tax credits -- to charities would have seen their benefit reduced. The change was expected to add $35 million a year to government revenue.