30% increase

Wallasey’s elderly and vulnerable residents have this week been hit by a 30% increase in their ‘meals on wheels’.  The rise, agreed six months ago by the Council, was the result of sacking the meals on wheels volunteers and replacing them with iCare, a private company from Lancashire.  Meals on Wheels customers will now be paying almost £1,000 a year for the service.

I can’t think of a worse time for these price increases to come in.  Many of the elderly and vulnerable people in our communities are already suffering with higher fuel and food costs.  The meals on wheels volunteers did a fantastic job for more than 25 years and were often the only contact some of our elderly had with the outside world.

It’s no wonder the Council was only rated as giving a two-star service to our residents – if this is how they treat the most needy, heaven help the rest of us!