PENSIONERS paying for Hampshire’s meals on wheels service will soon be forking out more money for their food.

Hampshire County Council has confirmed a lunchtime meal price rise of 34p, taking the cost of a hot meal up to £5.67 on April 1.

If a person receives seven meals a week from the council, this equates to an extra £2.38 each week, or £123.76 per year – leading some to believe that pensioners might be ‘priced out’ of the service.

To qualify for meals on wheels, residents must be over 55 and have either dementia, a learning or physical disability, mental health issues or a history of substance abuse.

Opposing Liberal Democrat spokesman for health and social care, Cllr David Harrison, said: “There are two things that appear to be driving this price increase – the cost of food is going up and the distribution to Hampshire residents is getting more expensive due to the price of fuel.

“Therefore I do fully understand the why the cost is rising, but it’s still a very unfortunate situation for the people who rely on this service for hot meals every day. They are often the ones struggling the most, too.

“I would hope people don’t get priced out but the county council will have to look at how this will affect people. If elderly residents stop getting the nutrition they need because they can’t afford it, they could get seriously ill and that will put extra pressure on the social care sector.”

Cllr Harrison added that annual price rises aren’t uncommon for the service, but that the county council must ‘get the balance right’.

The council’s director of adult’s health and care, Graham Allen, is the one who approved the price rise.

Since 2018, price increases for the meals on wheels service have been capped at no more than 2.5 per cent of the contractor’s price rise.

But in 2022-23, the council’s subsidy for this service will come to an end.

Meals are provided by Apetito 365 days a year, between 11.15am and 2.15pm each day.

There are separate providers for Portsmouth and Southampton.

Conservative executive member for adult services and public health, Cllr Liz Fairhurst, has been approached by the Local Democracy Reporting Service for comment.

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Kimberley Barber