COST-cutting Hyndburn Council has called a halt to its meals-on-wheels service.

The decision, made by members of the housing committee, will save the council £25,000 a year.

Now the 240 elderly people, who have meals delivered to their home once a week, will have to apply to join the county council's service.

Councillor Cliff Westell, housing committee chairman, said: "The responsibility for meals on wheels lies with the county council. They can provide a more efficient service and are in a better position to assess people's needs.

"It will mean that more people have the chance to make use of the service."

Coun Westell said that the decision would be in no way detrimental to the elderly people who receive meals on wheels.

"I would never agree to anything that would in some way adversely effect our senior citizens. This decision simply brings us in line with other district councils."

Hyndburn Council is not legally obliged to provide meals on wheels and the borough has one of the lowest number of pensioners receiving meals in the county.

But Conservative Coun Derek Scholes, a housing committee member, said he believes the council is just trying to "fob the service off onto the county council".

He added: "A saving of £25,000 is not that great. If social services take on Hyndburn's meals on wheels, all the pensioners receiving meals would have to be reassessed.

"Qualification for the county council service is stricter and some people could end up losing out."

Details about how the county council will run the borough's meals on wheels service will be discussed at a meeting of the social services committee.

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