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!

So no, it is not people who find it awkward or stressful to go to supermarkets. People on MN have a very wide definition of vulnerable around this issue.

But you can't "give" them to someone needy. You'd do more good, but asking people who need shopping what they'd like.

I had a slot on Monday, one tomorrow and one on the 7th and I just add my neighbours stuff as and when I can

I've got 3 slots booked over the next two weeks. I've been ordering shopping for DM with mine.
I'm avoiding all shops etc and just going for one short walk with the dog.

I think there'll be a lot of people with agoraphobia / MH issues when all this is over.

Rather hacked off that Tesco aren't prioritising delivery saver customers anyway
I do kind of agree with this. I haven’t had a delivery for over two weeks and haven’t got any slots booked (as they were all booked) for at least three weeks. Yet I am still paying for the online deliveries and will have to drive to the nearest Tesco (28 mile round trip) to do my shop.

I do get that others are more in need of the slot, but I assume they are also paying for their slot, so Tesco are profiteering from a bad situation and I don’t like that.

All those of you hanging onto your pre booked multiple slots do realise that this is stopping those in the most vulnerable ( shielding) group from accessing delivery slots don't you?
I cannot get a slot with any supermarket for the next 4 weeks. I have no one to shop for me. I cannot leave my house for 12 weeks.
Why can't op leave the children with her dh on Sunday to go and do a shop or send him?
I've never seen such a selfish bunch of Twats in all my life. Moaning about not being able to have their usual slots because a pleb might need them

I'm in the vulnerable category and cant get a slot .. I have tried asda, tesco, morrisons and Iceland but there are no slots available for the next 3 weeks. So I'm asking people to get bits for me as and when. But I wouldnt cancel your slot as you cant guarantee someone who is vulnerable would get it. I'm just going to manage for now. But if anyone can give me tips on what time Tesco open their slots up I would be very grateful!

Yet I am still paying for the online deliveries

TBF, right now there will be lots of things people have paid for that they aren’t receiving. Maybe you should cancel your subscription? It doesn’t sound like it is beneficial anymore.

This is basically why elderly, extremely vulnerable and disabled people cannot get deliveries.

I understand that shopping with autistic children is a challenge, and some supermarkets are not accepting single parents with kids. But 12 miles is not far to drive and I don’t see why DH can’t shop on a Sunday or arrange with work to go in his lunch hour. All workplaces are having to accommodate c-vid related issues.

I have spent the last few days trying to organise food and supplies for elderly and ’extremely vulnerable’ people who are elbowed out of delivery slots by middle class mothers with smart passes.

I spend all day phoning supermarkets, council support services, church groups, online shops, local shops. I have had to source food from Scotland and Europe as they were the only shops with stock that could deliver.

We have two shielded people in our house. Can’t get a slot despite letters from Gov & being registered as vulnerable. We can’t even get meds and have been advised to ring 111 by the usual pharmacy

However I think the OP should keep her slots. She clearly needs them and there’s no guarantee the vulnerable get a slot then anyway.

I wish there were better ways to administer the whole thing but dividing it between several supermarkets doesn’t appear to be working for households like ours that are truly in need for deliveries

To make yourself feel better, why don't you ask some people who need the delivery service if they'd like to add some things to your delivery. Put some notes through the letterboxes of elderly neighbours giving them a cut off time. Or have you friends who are in isolation who would appreciate a bag of shopping left on the doorstep :)

@Sugarplumfairy65 Because everyone is putting themselves first. As someone in the shielded group, I am glad that soon supermarkets will be giving slots to us and not just those who find it more convenient to have deliveries. Because if we had to rely on others, we would just have to shop and may end up dying.

@TooMuchBloodyChoice Hopefully in the next week things will change.

Another one in the highly vulnerable group. I have a slot booked for tomorrow but can't get another one despite the help scheme. I have no issue with people who already have slots booked but it would be nice if the supermarkets would help us going forward. The ones I've tried aren't doing anything and I can't register with Sainsburys as they aren't taking on new people.

I think your DP could go to the shops.

I had a click and collect booked for Sunday but I gave it up because of The Guilt

I can't get a delivery spot (am on delivery saver). I can't go to the supermarket as I am physically disabled and wouldn't manage to walk around, I also have an immunosupressed child and am a single parent. Not sure how I'll be getting food - we don't seem to be classed as vulnerable as dc is under 19 and I'm disabled but not in a priority category as I don't have respiratory or heart disease. There will be many people out there like me who need these slots and haven't got an alternative as you do. Your slot may go to someone who doesn't need it on the other hand it may go to somebody who does need it and will be very grateful.

What about going on your partners day off? One of you can stay at home with the children.

Keep them. There is no mechanism to “give” them to someone more vulnerable anyway. Supermarkets are releasing more slots all the time, they need to work out how to prioritise the people on the shielded list.

@alloutoffucks - I really hope so. We were adequately prepared but didn’t stock pile so are running out and can’t seem to find any help despite daily text telling us to eat separately, stand by a window (instead of going outside) and eat individually instead of as a family. There are a long list of do’s and don’t but nothing to support us keep our family safe. How are we realistically meant to cope for 12 weeks like that?!

@Toomuchgoingon I am not getting those texts. Is that something you opted into when you did you gov registration?

Keep them
You can’t leave your kids alone to shop
Really can you ?
And minimising spread

I don’t judge you

What is the help scheme? My mum is extremely vulnerable and I'd like to register her if it's a nationwide thing

We have a slot booked on Monday - I always book a big shop for payday, so it has been booked in for several weeks, before any lockdown. We can walk to the supermarket, but don’t have a car, and have heavy things like pet food ordered.

My DP and I fell out about the slot, tbh. He said we should release it, but I argued that there was no guarantee it would go to s vulnerable person. The compromise has been that we won’t book more after this one, and have added things for our neighbour, who is a single parent self-isolating with her children, so at least it is helping two households. She couldn’t get a slot for weeks and is delighted. (Although who knows what will turn up...)

I agree with pp that Boris’s suggestion people get deliveries and limit going to the shops has been taken on board by people who don’t normally shop online.

Q

No - we are part of the group that should be shielded. I have no idea how they got our numbers but we received texts on Monday advising that we were in the high risk group and should remain indoors for twelve weeks. This was followed by letters advising us to register. The texts are sent daily from Gov.uk giving ‘advice’ but no follow up to actually protect us.

I’m so angry, anxious and honestly petrified. Covid-19 will kill people in these groups and as we’re in those groups there should be the support and there just isn’t.

I’m not angry at the general public for being scared and self protectionist but if there are actually safety nets for us I’d love to know what they actually are as we can’t seem to access them.

Extremely vulnerable applies to a specific set of conditions. There are many people who are extremely vulnerable in their own way who don’t qualify.

• Solid organ transplant recipients.

• People with specific cancers:

people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer

people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment

people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer

people having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs

• People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD.

-People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell).

• People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection.

• Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired

Sorry that was to @alloutoffucks