Charities have been providing Meals on Wheels services since 1943, but cutbacks could see the system collapse
The lifeline Meals on Wheels service could be on the verge of collapse – a victim of government and council cutbacks.
Since 1943, a patchwork of mostly third sector groups have distributed dinners to the vulnerable and housebound, providing an invaluable source not just of nutrition, but of social contact.
It has been crucial in helping countless people live independent lives.
Now, however, the service is suffering death by a thousand cuts, extinguishing it in some areas and threatening it in many others.
Charities and voluntary organisations which carry out the service on behalf of local authorities say action must be taken now to save it.
it isn’t sustainable for charities to provide Meals on Wheels services without some form of subsidy
They spoke out as the UK recognises National Meals on Wheels Week – an event this year marked by an undercurrent of trepidation and fear for the future.
The severity of the crisis varies across the UK – but figures released by member body the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) show that as of October 2014 over a third of councils in the UK had stopped providing Meals on Wheels services.
Service provision has fallen 40% since 2009 – not only as a result of direct cuts, but also because of councils introducing increasingly stringent eligibility criteria in an effort to save money.
Most of the closures have been in England and Wales, with Scotland so far faring better – only Western Isles, South Ayrshire and Inverclyde councils are not providing the service.
The proven benefits of Meals on Wheels
The Meals on Wheels service provides a proven benefit not just to those who receive it, but to wider society.
Malnutrition and dehydration are both widespread problems among Britain’s growing elderly population, costing the NHS billions of pounds a year.
A nutritious meal delivered daily is a key tool in combating these issues, which often lead to hospitalisation among the elderly.
Meals on Wheels delivers nutritionally balanced meals every day to people who might otherwise go without, at less than 2% of the cost of treating somebody in hospital for a day.
In addition, Meals on Wheels provides much needed human contact to people who might otherwise be totally isolated.
However, the NACC says subsidies are being cut across the board in Scotland, impacted by the Scottish Government’s council tax freeze, and it is adamant the issue is as live here as in the rest of the UK.
The organisation believes that further cash cuts and closures are likely in Scotland.
Meals on Wheels is vulnerable and is often one of the first to be cut, says the NACC, because it has no statutory law protection.
Age UK state that the number of elderly people affected by social isolation to be around one million. The service doesn’t only combat malnutrition but loneliness as well, boosting mental wellbeing as well as physical health.
Neel Radia, chair of the NACC, said: “Removing this vital lifeline for elderly people not only puts more pressure on our hospitals and NHS staff but is also dangerous for those who rely on the service.
“Maintaining good nutrition and the human contact that comes with this is key to ensuring that our elderly are able to live independently in good health for as long as possible. Cutting this service puts vulnerable, elderly members of the community at risk and will also end up costing the country far more money. The service needs protecting in law.”
David McCullough, chief executive of Royal Voluntary Service, which delivered the first ever Meals on Wheels meal in Hemel Hempstead and continutes to be a major provider, said: “We believe that volunteers have an important role to play in providing support to older people in the community whether by delivering a meal or giving a lift to a supermarket to buy food, transport to a GP or to a social engagement and a chat over a cuppa or a pint in the local pub to alleviate loneliness.”
But he warned: “Unfortunately, it isn’t sustainable for charities such as ours to provide Meals on Wheels services without some form of subsidy despite having delivered Meals on Wheels since 1943.”
