MEALS ON WHEELS PRIVATISED AND PRICE RISE -- Update 18 Nov., 2014

Now many councils stopped or planning to stop the Meals on Wheels because of the already 40 per cent budget cuts and there is a further cut promised by the Government. 

How do these fatcats in Parliament think, if ever, housebound or bed-bound people survive. It is known that the politicians wine and dine on £4billion a year. That's were cuts should be.

UPDATE: 18 Nov., 2014 -- Now due to the severe cuts on council budgets many council have abandon  Meals-on-wheels services to a generation who deserves everything after their sacrifices they made. The Government forgets who put them there swimming in wealth and freedom. It would have been a different picture if that did not give their all at the front as well as back home in the last war.

This Government succeeded the most heartlessness, selfishness and greediest there has ever been.

The meals on wheels were privatised by the ToryLibDem coalition in Birmingham two years ago. The contract was given to a private firm called ‘ICare’ which is anything what the company’s name stands for. As with all private companies they too want to make a profit and have to.

The staff of 30 received a letter from the company’s director stating their wage will be cut from £8.13 to £6.19 plus their holiday and sick payment will be cut too. Furthermore, they can lose their job and given a week’s notice.

This is certainly a terrific shock to the drivers who use their own cars having to account for the wear and tear of the car and double insurance because they use it for business use. They reckon that by taken all this in account they would end up with £4 per hour. Their colleagues who haven’t got a car were already sacked.

While this was all going on the same bosses increased the meals on wheel from £4.10 to £5.71.  It also has to be paid for whole month ahead. The people who dealing with these elderly said that they were completely confused.

One of the drivers pointed out they were sold out. The elderly people they service rely on the hot meal once a day and for most it is their only outside contact.  They were shocked how the company is treating the drivers as well the Old Age Pensioners. They stated further that they deserve better. This coalition and their friends of private companies forget that it was this generation who saved Britain from the Nazi by sacrificing everything.

ICare defended their decision by stating that Birmingham City Council stopped paying the 20 per cent VAT but hold on a minute 20 per cent of £4.10 would be £0.82 and does not justify a £1.61 increase plus considering the decrease of the drivers' wages by £2 which adds up altogether to a £3.61 less £0.82 VAT makes it an increase of £2.79. Do they really CARE which is doubtful. From a start meals on wheels should not be charged VAT.  Again a point made by the Coalition of them and us. The coalition refuses to tax the Mansions but charge meals on wheels VAT.

Furthermore, the Chairman Stephen Emmanuel added: "The alternative was to make all employees on the contract redundant." This shows the whole attitude and it starts right from the top of the government down to companies' bosses.  

ANOTHER   DISGRACE   FOR   THE    COALITION   BUT   WILL   THEY   CARE?  NO