Meals on wheels costs to rise for majority of customers

Hundreds of council meals on wheels customers across Caerphilly County Borough will pay a higher daily rate for the service from July.

The local authority argued the new move will make Meals Direct “a sustainable service” after it was saved from the axe last autumn.

Customers currently pay a lower rate of £4.18 a day for a main meal and dessert delivered to their homes, if they were referred to Meals Direct by social services.

According to the council, 228 people (79% of all recipients) pay this lower rate.

Other customers, who joined Meals Direct themselves or via a family member, pay a higher daily rate of £6.89 for the same service.

Following a cabinet meeting, on Wednesday May 21, the council will abolish the lower rate and require all customers to pay the higher £6.89 fee from July 1.

The reform follows a recent row over the future of Meals Direct, which the council had proposed shutting down in 2024 as part of wider cost-cutting measures.

But that move sparked an angry response from service users, backbench councillors and national politicians who called for the “lifeline” service to be saved.

Speaking at Wednesday’s meeting, Cllr Elaine Forehead, the cabinet member for social services, acknowledged public opinion had been “overwhelmingly” in favour of retaining Meals Direct.

She noted cabinet members had gone on to agree unanimously to save the “invaluable” service – albeit on the basis that council officers would find ways to make it “more financially sustainable in the future”.

Cllr Sean Morgan, the council leader, said “many members of the cabinet have been out with Meals Direct and we’ve seen what it means to the community”.

“We will do all we can to make it a service we can continue,” he added.