Meals on Wheels subsidy

dharm11

Both my mother and father receive meals on wheels. My father is 80% paralysed where he can only move the left arm and neck upwards. He has carers which hoist him into his electric chair every morning where he would sit for a maximum of 2 hours due to having previous bedsores. Recently in Oct he was reassessed for social care and support.
At the start of this year I got a call form the community centre who supplies and deliver his meals each day. The lady there told me my fathers meals were no longer being subsidized by the council and he would need to pay the full price of £4.75 per day instead of the usual £3.65. And this maybe need to be back dated from the start of November.
We get invoiced every month by the community centre and if there is a increase in price a letter is sent to us through the centre but which is written by the council Non-residential Charging team.
I called our social worker to find out what was going on, Her initial reply was that the council have stopped subsidizing meals until I pointed out it was still being advertised through the councils website and that my mother is still receives her discounted rate. She then went on to tell me the discount only applies to one person per household. I told her I knew of other elderly couples who receive two. Then she replied that because during the assessment I mentioned to her that my father has been going out around the block in his electric wheelchair, if he can do that then his is more then capable of using the microwave and making himself a snack therefore he is not eligible for the discount.I told her my father cant even get into the fridge with one hand let alone make a snack. She disagreed. I even told her that my fathers health is deteriorating he's becoming more delusional through infections. She ignored that and went on to tell me that she will talk with the community centre because she felt it was unfair that we should be made to to pay the full amount from November but just the other day my father received a invoice asking for backdated payments to make up the difference.

My father has been receiving subsidized meals for many years and this is the first time it has stopped. I feel he is being unfairly treated but I'm not sure how to go about getting it resolved. And if this has happened to my father I dread to think how many other vulnerable people are being targeted this way.

tomtontom

What income does he (they) have, is the discount means tested?

dharm11

tomtontom wrote: »

What income does he (they) have, is the discount means tested?

They both receive DLA, my father middle care and high mobility and my mother middle care. They're both eligible for esa, joint eas but my father is the only one that receives it at the moment. My mother also gets carers allowance. Their savings are less then 5k. I'm not sure if the discount is means tested.

margaretclare

These meals seem very expensive. Have your parents thought of e.g. Oakhouse Foods or Wiltshire Farm Foods?

I didn't even know that meals on wheels still existed. But it's true that local authorities have very little money to spare. What they could afford years ago is not what they can afford now.

nannytone_2

dharm11 wrote: »

They both receive DLA, my father middle care and high mobility and my mother middle care. They're both eligible for esa, joint eas but my father is the only one that receives it at the moment. My mother also gets carers allowance. Their savings are less then 5k. I'm not sure if the discount is means tested.

does anyone else live with them?

if they live alone ( together) and both receive ar easy middle care DLA, they would be eligible for the severe disability premium if your mpother stops her claim for carers allowance.

they would lose the CA of around £63 a week but gain £14 a week between them, so more than enough to make up the shortfall.

this is only payable if no other adults live with them

pmlindyloo

Following on from Nannytone's post I suggest that your parents have a benefits check up to make sure that they are maximising their benefit entitlement.

Try CAB or AgeUK.

If they received more money then this might make a difference.

tomtontom

dharm11 wrote: »

They both receive DLA, my father middle care and high mobility and my mother middle care. They're both eligible for esa, joint eas but my father is the only one that receives it at the moment. My mother also gets carers allowance. Their savings are less then 5k. I'm not sure if the discount is means tested.

Why is your mother claiming CA if she is not even able to prepare a meal for your father?

mumps

Are there any alternatives locally? I know of a local pub/restaurant/hotel that delivers meals locally. I have heard they are good value but don't actually know the price.

Ettenna

Our local council uses Apetito which charges £3.80 for a hot meal and pudding.