The price of Newcastle’s meals on wheels is set to jump significantly, as the nation grapples with the cost of living crisis.
City council bosses say they have been left with “no option” but to hike up charges for their Meals at Home programme by 13% because of escalating staffing costs and food prices. The daily price of a hot lunch delivered by council staff will rise from £4 to £4.50 for a single course and from £5.95 to £6.70 for two courses, meaning a maximum rise of £273.75 a year for customers.
One charity in the city warned that the increase will “make life more difficult” for elderly people who rely on the service, especially when combined with sky-rocketing energy prices and other rising bills. A Newcastle City Council report states that Meals at Home fees have been frozen for the past seven years, but the rising price of ingredients and wages in that time means that it is now “is now in a position where it is not covering costs”.
