The Older People’s Commissioner has issued a stark warning over the risk to older people because of cuts by local authorities to meals on wheels.

Currently half of all local authorities do not offer the service, with another two planning to axe it in October.

Sarah Rochira has warned that local authorities need to be “absolutely sure and confident that they are not placing people at further risk”.

Shadow Local Government Secretary, Janet Finch-Saunders, called the move a “false economy”.

Mrs Finch-Saunders is the Welsh Conservatives’ Older People’s Champion.

Commenting, she said:

“The knock-on effect of axing ‘meals on wheels’ goes beyond local authority finance, particularly when Welsh councils have a combined £1.4 billion sat in usable reserves.

“It’s also a false economy when we know that withdrawing the service will lead to more hospital admissions and greater isolation amongst older people.

“Sarah Rochira is sport on, and we need to look at what this says about the state of public policy when the majority of local authorities are choosing to scrap such an important service.

“Meals on wheels are a vital lifeline, particularly for people who live alone or who cannot prepare their own meals, and it is disappointing to see that such a vital service for the elderly is being sacrificed.”

ENDS