Council planning to axe ‘lifeline’ meals on wheels service over costs

Nicholas Thomas Local Democracy Reporter

Meals on wheels customers in one county face uncertainty over the future of the service, which the council has earmarked for closure.

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Meals Direct service delivers around 125,000 meals a year and is designed to “help people maintain their independence and provide a regular check to ensure that all is well in the household”.

Recipients of what the council calls its “essential lifeline service” include people who are housebound or disabled.

But the council may soon axe the scheme and “signpost current clients to alternative external providers who can offer a similar service”, it announced on Tuesday July 30.

Saving

The proposal also means any Meals Direct customers who qualify for subsidised meals would lose that subsidy when they are directed to a third-party organisation.

Cutting Meals Direct will save the council around £444,000 according to a recent estimate of its yearly running costs.

It was announced on July 30 along with proposals to “mothball” the cultural destinations Llancaiach Fawr and Blackwood Miners’ Institute.

Commenting on those measures and the future of Meals Direct, Caerphilly Council leader Sean Morgan said “we can’t continue to run our services in the way we always have”.

Citing the need to make another £45 million in savings over the next two financial years, Cllr Morgan said the local authority would “need to explore all options and consider ways of doing things differently”.

“I want to be honest with the community, because it is clear that the scale of savings means we need to make some very difficult decisions over the coming months,” he added.

The council’s proposals for closing Meals Direct are currently out for public consultation until Tuesday September 10.

If the move goes ahead, the council will stop delivering meals at the end of November.

Current users will receive “support… to access alternative provision”, the council said.

There will also be some questions over the future of the 22 members of staff employed in the Meals Direct team – who the council said would be “supported through existing HR policies”.

To take part in the public consultation process, visit https://conversation.caerphilly.gov.uk/meals-direct-service or to request alternative formats, email [email protected] or phone 01443 864380.

Hard copies of the consultation form are available at Caerphilly Council-run libraries.