THURROCK Council is guaranteeing that people who get its meals on wheels service will still be able to receive it after ending its current contract.
Cllr Barbara Rice, portfolio holder for social care and health, told Wednesday (3 September) evening’s meeting of the council’s cabinet that eligible service users will receive a personal budget which will include a reduced subsidy from the council, so users will be able to buy a meal of their choice.
Cllr Rice said: “As you’ll know our contract for meals on wheels is with the Royal Voluntary Service until the end of March.
“These meals are provided to people who have been assessed as having critical or substantial needs under the Fair access to care criteria.”
She said that at present all but 23 of the 146 people receiving meals on wheels live alone, but she added: “The demand for meals on wheels has been going down steadily over the years, from 56,535 meals in 2009 to under 33,000 in 2013/14.
“At the moment each meal costs approximately £8 with the client contributing half and the council the other half.”
She said that following a consultation, overview and scrutiny recommended the end of the current contract and for the council to provide a subsidy in the form of a direct payment to service users so they can have a choice of provider.
Cllr Rice said the subsidy would go down to around £1.25 per meal and the cost to the client would not rise because Thurrock had “discussed with Havering Council” for them to provide meals for Thurrock clients if they wished to select them.
.“Users will be able to use that or choose another organisation, but we will of course provide support and advice to clients to arrange a meal service if necessary – although we won’t be actually procuring a service for meals on wheels it will ensure those who need it will still get the service they require,” she said.
Cllr Rice explained that this would secure an initial saving of £50,000 next year with savings of around £100,000 each year after that, and she reassured members that a total of £5.25 was sufficient to provide a hot meal.
