Birmingham meals on wheels price increase

People in Birmingham who receive meals on wheels will have to pay about 40% more for the service in future.

Hot meals delivered by operator iCare currently cost £4.10 per day and are expected to rise to £5.71 from September.

Birmingham City Council said a subsidy agreed by the previous administration as part of a two-year deal with the firm was coming to an end.

iCare said it still provided a quality service at a reasonable cost.

Stephen Emmanuel, chairman of the iCare Group, said the firm faced a shortfall in subsidy as well as 20% VAT, which had also previously been covered by the local authority.

Councillor Steve Bedser, Labour, said it was "extremely disappointing" that older people in the city were facing "such a significant increase".

Voluntary groups

He urged iCare to reconsider its pricing strategy, suggesting the company could have "room for manoeuvre".

iCare is not the only provider in the city, with the council also offering grants to a number of voluntary groups and other organisations which deliver hot meals to mainly older people.

Between 2010 and June 2012, the city has seen a 40% drop in the number of people choosing to buy in delivered hot meals.

David Kidby, from Age UK, said despite the drop in demand many disabled and older people valued the human contact almost as much as the meals themselves.

He also warned that many older people would "not make a fuss," but "simply stop the service and go hungry".