To not give up my delivery slots..

[Shootingstar2918]

Hi all, background... I am not vulnerable and I am fit and healthy and able to go shopping but it’s extremely difficult. I have two children with autism and my partner has to work. I live 12 miles away from the nearest large supermarket. The village shop doesn’t sell much.

I get my shopping delivered every week without fail at the same time every week. I always book slots in advance particularly at usual peak times - Christmas, Easter, summer holidays.

My partner still has to work long hours so not as easy as one of us getting to the shop. By the time he finishes this week the shops are shut. They don’t open late here.

I have two shops booked. One for next week and another for the week after.

Been told I’m selfish for not leaving them for the vulnerable?

I booked these 2 weeks ago! When Tesco released easter bank holiday priority slots for delivery savers!

Surely I should keep my slots and not be made to feel guilty?

I know I’ll probably have to shop in store after these 2 slots!

I don’t think you are doing anything wrong in keeping the slot. I think you don’t need people slating you so you might want to consider asking for this thread to be deleted or hide it. My son has food sensory issues - just do what you need to do.

People are just being jealous because they don't have any slots. You do not have to justify yourself to other people just because some phantom 'vulnerable person' may need the slot more than you, if you have a slot keep it.

Exactly. You giving up your slot just means whoever is lucky enough to look online at the right time will get it - there's absolutely no guarantee it will go to someone vulnerable who "needs it more than you".

My food shop arrived this morning from Tesco. Arrived an hour early, contactless delivery and I received everything I asked for except we were down a bottle of lemonade. I'm not "vulnerable" but I booked it three weeks ago while I was in isolation to make sure I was guaranteed some food. I don't feel bad about it.

I'm classed as vulnerable and can't get a slot anywhere despite being registered on the government website. I'm by my self with my children but I still think you should keep at least one slot due to your circumstances but maybe not 2?

I still think you should keep at least one slot due to your circumstances but maybe not 2?

But if OP gives up one slot, there's no guarantee that it'll go to someone who is vulnerable. It could just as easily go to Joe down the road who is young and healthy and more than capable of popping to the shops. If supermarkets really wanted to help the vulnerable then they shouldn't have made the slots available to everyone in the first place.

Just keep both

Don't feel guilty, the supermarkets should be putting more staff on to cover the increased demand for delivery slots. Hopefully they will get their act together quickly so that more people have the option of delivery.

Tbh I think you are pretty selfish. Sorry. I think that if we can physically get out to the shops that we should
The less of us in the shops the better. Especially as this would mean not one but three people there. More delivery slots are being added for vulnerable people and there is help readily available in most communities.

I’ve booked weekly slots in advance too and I don’t feel guilty. I have a 11month old and my DH is still working. I’m adding stuff to our shop for my DHs two grandmothers, my parents and some elderly neighbours so our one slot is effectively doing five households. I pay for a delivery saver so saves any of us paying for delivery in already challenging Financial Times. I think that’s fair enough. I don’t think it’s about slots being reserved purely for the vulnerable it’s about everyone being aware of others around them and making the best possible use of resources

I booked my normal Morrisons order on 16th March for today. I have a Delivery pass and have had for a while. A few minutes after the end of my slot for delivery this morning I got an email to say it wasn't coming. Family of adults, all with disabilities of various forms and we've been dropped right in it. What they didn't mention was they've already taken the money!

Just because you've booked your normal slot is no guarantee ANYTHING will turn up!

Definitely don't feel guilty. They want us to go out less and you managed to get slots. You are doing the right thing. I hope they don't cancel the slots. We are in isolation and I somehow managed to get a delivery for next Sunday I really hope we still get it. I've got a click and collect for the fortnight after as well.

But if OP gives up one slot, there's no guarantee that it'll go to someone who is vulnerable

Oh well that’s ok then. If everyone thinks like that, and they certainly appear to, it’s no wonder that the elderly and extremely vulnerable can’t get deliveries.

So volunteers have to go into shops multiple times to get food and deliver it to them.

They want us to go out less and you managed to get slots

‘They’ don’t want you to go to barbecues, lounge on the beach with your mates, or make non-essential journeys, ‘they’ haven’t said you can’t go out shopping once a week.

‘They’ have, however, advised the elderly and extremely vulnerable to self isolate for 12 weeks and not go out at all. But that is made impossible by all the younger people who dominate food deliveries.

I have mild symptoms and so we are currently self-isolating. I have been unable to get a delivery slot anywhere (major supermarkets or local deliveries) for at least the next 2 weeks. Whilst I don't begrudge you the slots you have and think in your circumstances you should keep them, I do think it's selfish of healthy, non-vulnerable people who are more than capable of a once a week shopping trip to continue to use delivery slots just because that's what they've always done.

You may not be categorised as vulnerable in terms of the virus, but you are in a highly stressful situation. Anyone who says you're selfish needs to volunteer with autistic children and left to deal with a meltdown on their own! I'm being being totally flippant, I don't think people understand how stressful it is to manage autistic children and that's not their fault, but people should lay off the judgement.

I know exactly how stressful autistic children are as I’m related to one.

Which is why I suggested her DH does the shopping, or she could go while he looks after the kids on a Sunday.

Anyone who doesn’t understand that there are elderly and vulnerable people across the country who don’t have access to food and basic supplies should volunteer and see how stressful that is.

Or try doing my DH’s job as an NHS doctor.

YANBU. I also am trying to find slots online as my ds is severely autistic.

Bloody hell keep your slots while you can. I'm certainly keeping my Tesco slots. I have a son with ASD and getting him to not touch anything and observe social distancing would be flipping impossible. Keep your slot. Cancelling 2 individual shops would not guarantee only vulnerable people would get those even if they did show on the website. I'm sure it may be more restricted in a couple of weeks

Tatiana my partner has a terminal brain tumour who has not had a letter through therefore no prioty booking access. I'm at home on my own looking after him and my three year old and working from home - no need for me to volunteer here thanks. I still don't begrudge someone else getting their shopping, especially someone who probably has enough stress in their life as it is.

My dad has terminal blood cancer and my mum is stuck nursing him with no support, I may never see him again face to face, life is tough.

I don’t begrudge anyone anything, I’m simply pointing out the bald fact that if everyone holds onto slots to save themselves ‘stress’ all the people most in need and in danger like your partner can’t use them. And people like me have to volunteer to shop for them instead.

I would keep the slots, on the basis that you can’t actually be guaranteed to give them away to someone “deserving”.

But I’m about your husband. Unless he’s a respiratory specialist in a hospital or similar, then he needs to learn to say, “I have worked 6 days if unsociable hours that have ALL prevented me from buying food for my family, so yes I will work the 7th day to request - but not at because I am buying food.”

@ellisandra he really doesn’t mind going shopping. It’s just the supermarkets have limited hours here anyway and even more so now. We live in the middle of nowhere. Around my partners work and the children One of us would need to shop first thing but supermarkets Are opening later than normal in the morning and also quite rightly are only opening for elderly and vulnerable first thing. By the time they are open as usual it doesn’t leave me another time before he does to work but we will work around it! They are shut by the time he finishes. Might just mean buying More in our village shop for a premium price and limited stock but it’ll have to do I guess!

You fall under the carer bracket so certainly keep your slot and stay safe 😊

I can't get a delivery slot, but my sister works in a supermarket so is getting shopping for myself and for my mum when she goes in early to open up. She's then driving five miles each way to deliver it to me.
But I think you should keep your slots, you need them as you can't shop with your children because of their autism. You are a vulnerable group, imo.

@tatiana i agree.

OP is not in a vulnerable group - neither are her children.

I empathise with your difficulties but none of you are vulnerable to this virus- many people are - those with cancers, diabetes, asthma, heart disease .

You do not need that slot . Your physical health is not reliant on it .