The meals-on-wheels postcode lottery - Telegraph Based on an average of six meals a week it works out at around 64 pence per meal. Neil Duncan-Jordan, of the National pensioners" Convention, said: "It is a scandal and it is one of a number of postcode lotteries right through the social care system - whether it is how much you pay for someone to help you get out of bed in the morning or how much you get for meals on wheels. We are seeing people going in to hospital being malnourished and we are seeing a massive postcode lottery in the cost and quality of meals across the country. It has got to be linked in some way - older people are suffering. Michelle Mitchell, director general of Age UK said: "Councils need to get value for money in everything they do but rather than cutting back on vital services such as meals on wheels, they should be learning best practice from other councils. It's hard to imagine how a council can provide a balanced nutritious and appetising meal for 64p. It is important for older people to have access to a healthy hot meal every day. The provision of meals on wheels can play a crucial role in the health and wellbeing of many older people. Malnutrition can be caused not only by not eating enough, but by not eating a varied and nutritious diet and in some serious cases can be an underlying factor for emergency admission to hospital or can even delay recovery from illness or injury. Judy Aldred, managing director of Ssentif said: "All councils are currently under pressure to make savings, so it's very interesting to see the huge variations in the amount spent on providing meals for older people ... the data does raise questions about the quality of meals being provided by those amongst the lower spending councils."