Meals on Wheels fees to increase by 5%

FEES and charges for Fife’s Meals on Wheels and Community Alarm services are increasing by 5% this year, and the entire service is set to be reviewed due to demand.

The increases and review plans were approved by Fife Cabinet Committee councillors at a meeting on Thursday.

According to the council website, Meals on Wheels provides more than 800 “healthy meals and a regular friendly visit” per year on either a long-term or short-term basis.

Elderly people and adults with disability, chronic illness, mental health issues or dementia are all eligible to sign up to receive one, two or three-course lunchtime meals each day for a fee.

“Currently, courses are charged on an individual basis to the customer with the HSCP subsidising the service,” a report from Audrey Valente, chief finance officer for Fife Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) stated.

“The proposal is to increase the flat-rate charge from £4.99 to £5.24 for a two-course meal.

“The proposed uplift is in line with the agreed Fife Council uplift rate of 5%. Some people opt for a three-course meal.

“We propose to increase the flat-rate charge for three-course meal delivery from £6.30 to £6.62.”

Fees for the community alarm scheme are likewise increasing.

It is another self-referral service that’s subsidised by the HSCP.

The personal alarm system allows users to call for help using a wearable device in the event of a fall or emergency.

“The current charge in Fife is £2.94 per week. It is proposed for 2024-25 that an increase of £0.25 per week will be applied for a community alarm, increasing the weekly charge from £2.94 to £3.09,” the committee report explained.

HSCP has also got permission to review the criteria for providing both services this year due to the increasing number of service users.