Meals on Wheels Sell Off Delayed
15 July 2011 by Paul Rhoades
Great news for the 278 elderly and vulnerable residents in Scunthorpe & North Lincolnshire who rely on the meals on wheels service as we've just heard that the decision to privatise it by the Tories is going to be delayed.
Earlier on in the week we reported on the hypocritical stance of the cabinet minister for Children and Adult services should he go forward with this privatisation while at the same time publicly admitting that the council would have to come to the rescue of failed private social care Southern Cross and their two residential homes in Scunthorpe
We've just heard now that no immediate decision is to be taken on the privatisation of this critical service, which targets not only the most needy in our society, but also those who in our community are probably the least equipped to speak up when they have problems and difficulties.
We've heard that the council has just realised that it should really consult the users of this service before it just sells it off allowing some business to make a profit from it while inevitably reducing the quality and level of service provided to its users.
We've been told that this is not the first time the sell off of meals on wheels has been suggested, and that it has been proposed but rejected by the cabinet on at least two previous occasions. We have also been told that not only would the service be sold off, but that the subsidy (currently approx 60%) would also be removed forcing old and vulnerable people who can not cook for them selves to paid over £6.00 per meal.
As far as we know, the meals on wheels service is made available to a very small number of people in North Lincolnshire, and the heavy means testing which is used to qualify candidates for this service mean that those who receive it are truly needy.
It is a travesty that the council should even consider attacking the most vulnerable in this way and we call for the council at the end of their consultation period to think again.
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Comments
Not sure "they are listening" I get the feeling that they've probably been pulled up on procedure on this one as I believe they have to consult users of services before making changes to them, and to date have not, though I will stand corrected on this, so if any one knows please, let other readers know in the comments section below.
Disgraceful that they should even consider this. Going for the weakest and most vulnerable while the bankers and financiers are still stuffing their pockets with tax funded bonuses.
It's about time we all decided what is important and started to fight to defend it. Personally, I would vote for my parents generation every time. They built and paid for the welfare state we have and I consider it my personal duty not to let that be stripped away by a bunch of millionaire hypocrites. How many cabinet ministers ever had to worry where the next meal was coming from?
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