Councillors have shot down a proposal for a 7.5% price increase in Meals on Wheels for the “most vulnerable”.
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s policy and resources scrutiny committee have put a proposal to cabinet to reduce the price increase in its Meals Direct service – more commonly known as Meals on Wheels – to 3%, while increasing prices for staff meals by 4.5%.
The council’s budget proposals include a 7.5% increase in Meals Direct. The subsidised rate would increase from £3.30 to £3.55 per meal, while the unsubsidised rate would increase from £5.65 to £5.90.
Meals Direct is a service provided to many people who are housebound. Subsidised meals are provided for those unable to prepare meals themselves, where no one is available to provide meals for them and where there is a “significant risk” if regular meals are not provided.
A report on the public impact savings analysis into the proposal said: “The service is designed to meet various needs of its customers.
“We work very closely with social services and Information Assistance and Advice (Social Services) who offer a variety of alternatives to the Meals Direct service.
“Very often it is the most vulnerable and needy members of the borough that access the service as no suitable alternative is available to meet their needs of a hot meal delivered daily.
“We must not underestimate the value of this service to members of our communities especially those who are frail and vulnerable who often refer to this service as the fourth emergency service.”
In the council’s special policy and resources scrutiny committee Cllr Elaine Forehead asked: “Do we really want to put added pressure on the most vulnerable people by increasing meals by 7%?”
Cllr Forehead suggested lowering the increase in price for Meals Direct, while increasing the staff canteen prices.
The proposed budget included an increase in prices in the staff canteen of 3%, which Cllr Forehead argued was not fair on the most vulnerable who could see a 7% increase.
The council’s interim head of business improvement services Steve Harris said that the council had increased staff meal prices by 5% in the past without too much of a problem.
The committee agreed on a proposal to “Increase Meals Direct by 3% and meals in the staff canteen by 4.5% so that there’s greater parity, and it’s (the proposed Meals Direct increase) more in line with inflation.”