Pensioners could be given just one delivery per fortnight

More than 500 people in the county benefit from the service, but the council wants to cut the �170,000 it costs to run the project annually.

Plans include making just one weekly or fortnightly delivery of frozen food.

A pilot scheme involving one third of the council's elderly customers is being set up to test the proposals.

Ceredigion Council currently provides 100,000 meals each year to 526 elderly and vulnerable people.

But it said the cost of providing the service had risen, and there had been problems finding volunteer helpers.

A council spokeswoman said: "To try and overcome these problems the council has decided to put a third of the county on a new trial scheme using frozen meals.

'Completely wrong'

"The area will be trialled and the timing of the project hasn't been decided yet.

"At present the service is costing �170,000, and providing meals in this new way would save the council this sum each year."

She added that recipients of meals on wheels would be reassessed before the changes were made, and those unable to cope could receive more support.

Dan Davies, 91, from Penparc, near Cardigan, and his wife Mati have received meals on wheels for about 10 years.

Mr Davies said: "How does the council think ordinary people have enough room to keep all this food for a fortnight?

"I think whoever thought this up is completely wrong."

Elsewhere in the UK, councils in Lancashire and Cumbria have announced plans to change their meals on wheels provision, including substituting hot meals with frozen food.