Meals on Wheels services are increasingly being discontinued. These closures come at a time when over 20 million adults across the country live with increasing care needs linked to age, disability, and complex physical or mental health conditions, many of whom could benefit from Meals on Wheels to help prevent their needs from getting worse.
These findings echo what advocates have long claimed, that Meals on Wheels delivers system-wide value and should be treated as a core preventative component of adult social care, not an optional add-on.
Key findings include that for people receiving Meals on Wheels are:
- More than twice as likely (118%) to be satisfied with their care and support
- 81% more likely to feel safe
- 66% more likely to report higher quality of life
- 62% more likely to report having control over daily life
- 55% more likely to report adequate social contact
- 23% more likely to find it easy to access information and advice
A spokesperson said: “Awareness-raising campaigns should highlight the broader benefits of Meals on Wheels for both users and carers beyond nutrition, including their positive impact on quality of life, social contact, and satisfaction with care services.
“Commissioners, local authorities, and Meals on Wheels providers should consider this new evidence in business cases and service planning, particularly where Meals on Wheels closures are being considered.”