PENSIONERS in Ceredigion are having to fork out more for meals-on-wheels to make up for the £2m the county council has had to pay cost-cutting consultants, it has been claimed.

Increases to a range of Ceredigion County Council fees will take place in January, just nine months after they were previously put up.

Fees for a range of services, including leisure centre costs, meals-on-wheels and community warden services, will increase on 1 January, instead of the traditional date of 1 April when the new financial year begins. Council Cabinet members say they are keen to boost the authority’s coffers to help cut an expected £2m deficit.

While new fees are usually introduced at the start of the new financial year, Cllr Dafydd Edwards said the council wanted several fees to rise in January after deciding that additional income between January and April would be an “advantage” to help limit the potential deficit.

Cllr Ceredig Davies questioned the £1 increase in the Meals@Home service saying it looked like the council was “making the older people pay” to ensure the council hits its own savings target.

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