The meals-on-wheels postcode lottery
Some councils are spending less than £4 a week on meals-on-wheels for elderly people while others spending almost 30 times that much, a study shows.
By John Bingham, Social Affairs Editor
7:00AM BST 31 May 2012
Campaigners said the figures exposed a “scandalous postcode lottery” in provision for the elderly.
It follows warnings that increasing numbers of older people are arriving in hospital showing signs of malnutrition.
A study based on official statistics by the data analysts, Ssentif, found that councils spend an average of just under £34 per person per week on meals for elderly people including meals on wheels services and luncheon clubs.
But while pensioners in Hammersmith and Fulham in west London have £110.77 per week spent on their meals, according to Ssentif, Stoke-onTrent City Council spends just £3.84.
Similarly Warrington in Cheshire spends just £3.85.
Based on an average of six meals a week it works out at around 64 pence per meal.
Neil Duncan-Jordan, of the National pensioners’ Convention, said: “It is a scandal and it is one of a number of postcode lotteries right through the social care system – whether it is how much you pay for someone to help you get out of bed in the morning or how much you get for meals on wheels.
“We are seeing people going in to hospital being malnourished and we are seeing a massive postcode lottery in the cost and quality of meals across the country.
“It has got to be linked in some way – older people are suffering.”
Michelle Mitchell, director general of Age UK said: “Councils need to get value for money in everything they do but rather than cutting back on vital services such as meals on wheels, they should be learning best practice from other councils. It’s hard to imagine how a council can provide a balanced nutritious and appetising meal for 64p.
“It is important for older people to have access to a healthy hot meal every day. “The provision of meals on wheels can play a crucial role in the health and wellbeing of many older people. Malnutrition can be caused not only by not eating enough, but by not eating a varied and nutritious diet and in some serious cases can be an underlying factor for emergency admission to hospital or can even delay recovery from illness or injury.”
Judy Aldred, managing director of Ssentif said: “All councils are currently under pressure to make savings, so it’s very interesting to see the huge variations in the amount spent on providing meals for older people … the data does raise questions about the quality of meals being provided by those amongst the lower spending councils.”
