MP forces council into U-turn and stops meals on wheels price hike
South Lakes MP Tim Farron has welcomed the news that his campaign with local councillors Rod Wilson, Janet Willis and Brenda Gray has forced the County Council to perform a massive U-turn and cancel the planned 46% price hike for 'Meals on Wheels'.
'Meals on Wheels' is a service provided by the county council to vulnerable people in our community who are unable to cook their own meals and have no other way of getting a hot meal. The majority of people who are eligible and receive this service are pensioners.
In a letter to affected pensioners that was sent out in late March, the County Council announced that as of 8th April 2013 the cost of an individual delivered hot meal would increase from £3.50 to £5.10. Tim has raised concerns that this increase in the cost of the service will negate the impact of the pension increase introduced in 2012/2013 of £5.30.
Instead, the council members will review the planned increase later this month in light of the feedback received before making any final decision. In a letter sent to those affected today, the County Council said: "You may recall we wrote to you recently to advise you of an increase in charge for community meals to £5.10 (five pounds and ten pence) per meal from Monday 8 April.
"Following feedback from users of the meals service and volunteers, the council has decided to postpone this planned increase. This postponement means the planned increase in the price of your meal will not come into effect on 8 April."
Tim said: "This is fantastic news and a massive campaign win for Brenda Gray, Janet Willis and Rod Wilson. I want to thank them for their support and help.
"I was disgusted when I learnt that the Tory-led county council had planned to hit vulnerable pensioners with a 46% price hike for their meals. This would have left pensioners having to find over £10 extra every week if they wanted to keep using the service. Whilst this announcement is welcome, I'll keep pressuring the council to make sure this cruel measure is dropped completely."