To feel nothings left for average families

[Aubrystrawberry]

I fully support the vunerable and elderly getting special times to shop and think it's great that some supermarkets have kept slots for them. But.... Is anyone else feeling like it's a catch 22 for families? Especially ones with kids.

I have managed to get one slot in April through Asda. It was pure luck! I have children aged 2 and 4. My partner's still working all week and he's worried about catching this virus like the rest of us. We are trying to stay home because I'm anemic and don't know how dangerous it would be as I've been quite poorly. It's not recognised as a huge problem but I've read that we don't have enough red blood cells. (I've made another post on this)

Anyway I've just been on Asda to try add a couple of things on and see how much is now out of stock. It says I'm not allowed to amend until 2 days before it's delivered now. Fair enough. But for god's sake.

I've been on Iceland this morning and they put up a bright red warning that if I'm not elderly or vunerable there are no slots.

Morrisons said they have no slots at all anywhere.

Sainsbury's the same.

Tesco's the same.

I went on Amazon to try do a pantry shop. Nothing on there.

Luckily I get milk delivered. But it's becoming a nightmare trying to work out how i will get food in a couple of weeks time.

What do they expect from people? We are slagged off if we dare take a child or two in shops. We are judged for even being in town with kids. Not everyone but quite a few are vocal about it on our local page on Facebook. People are taking pictures of people trying to get them in trouble for being irresponsible. I'm trying to be responsible and keep the kids indoors and us out of germy shops with mucky trolley handles. But I'm being told on all supermarket websites we should go to the store If we can.

I am not sure how many more weeks this is going on for, but like many others we don't want to risk getting this virus so we want to stay home.

I guess there's nothing we can do. But I think the elderly and vunerable have had a fantastic amount of help and support as they have special times to shop, slots online, volunteers shopping for them. It just feels like families are being treated like vultures for wanting to feed their kids.

Also I didn't panic shop and now I wish I did!

Online delivery isn’t a right! I get that is difficult but there’s a big difference between enduring tutting when you go to the supermarket and not being able to go full stop.

Believe it or not, you are in a very fortunate position with having a partner and transport.

Of course it doesn't @twinkle2306 but it does mean that those who really, really need them as opposed to it being a preference have more chance of getting them. In the current climate, retaining a slot when there are other options is wrong. It may be that fear brings out selfishness, or maybe they're just "I'm alright jack" kind of people to begin with. Either way my interest is in helping the needy, not the selfish.

@Peterlon1 m&s have put things in place near me!

Supermarkets are generally open 8am-8pm Mon-Sat then 10am-4pm Sunday.

If you're DH is one of the rare people who works out the home during all these hours then his employer needs to appreciate his contribution and let him go early one day a week, under these circumstances.

If, as i suspect, he's just a lazy git who can't be arsed doing the shop because you've always done it and it takes him out his comfort zone, then he needs to strap on a pair. Otherwise you don't need a delivery slot at all and are not disadvantaged in the least

Why all the drama

I went to aldi yesterday at 9am got let straight in, trolley handle sanitized, hands sanitized about 25 people in the whole shop, loads of room, loads of food except spaghetti out again in 20 minutes.

@ochreheart as I said. I have high anxiety about leaving the house, which is heightened at the moment with all this going on to the point I have a breakdown if I leave. I had a delivery slot last week (Booked two weeks ago). What's your advice to me don't be so selfish with your MH issues and give it to someone else 🤷🏼‍♀️ great logic. You have no idea on what is going on in people's lives and who is worthy of a slot is not up to you. If you get a slot keep the slot if you can't get a slot you can't get a slot. In terms of people who are vulnerable and cannot get a slot there are so so many schemes at the moment where people can help you out or as I did I asked my elderly family if they needed bits and added it onto my order. Fear doesn't bring out selfishness but it seems to bring out a competition of who had it worse than others.

Have to say reading through the self righteous messages from OP and a few other above is very depressing - the selfishness is staggering (thankfully those are in a minority). Everybody is scared but that is absolutely no excuse to take the delivery slots when you have 2 adults capable of doing the shopping. You should be ashamed of yourself OP.

"What's your advice to me don't be so selfish with your MH issues and give it to someone else "

@twinkle2306 pretty much, yes. Many people are affected by MH issues but they don't expose the sufferer to a greater risk of dying from COVID, unlike the conditions listed for the shielded category. It's shit, I know but it's extraordinary times. And you're right, there is a lot of other help out there which you could also avail yourself of.

There is a lot not making the press for obvious reasons but knowing what I do, the more people who help out and shop for my father with stage 4 lung cancer who is having immunotherapy, the more we all expose him. It will be people like him, not you, being taking the newly built "hospitals".

I meant to add @twinkle2306, your lack of grasp on the situation is surprising. It's not a competition over who has it worse, it's about degrees of risk of contracting and dying of the virus. You can't recognise that others are a greater risk than you and therefore should be afforded every opportunity to shield.

@ochreheart you also seem to fail to grasp the concept that it's not as easy as just popping out. I struggled to go out before this all happened let alone now. I'd much rather volunteers be used by the elderly who don't have access to internet then me who does. Additionally as stated just because you get an online slot doesn't mean I've used it to stockpile food for my household. Instead I asked those elderly who can't or shouldn't be going out what they needed and put this on my shop. Some slots are only being made available to those who are not listed as vulnerable the same as some slots are being made for those who are vulnerable. These slots would've been available to those of us who don't make the list anyway and me cancelling a slot that I had wouldn't have made a blind bit of difference. The same way that Ocado are emailing smart pass members with a slot so they can do their shopping. These slots are only available to other smart pass customers irrespective of their vulnerability as other slots are for just those who are vulnerable.

Like I said @twinkle2306, it's shit but it's shit for everyone. The supermarkets working with the gov will naturally lead to less slots for the non-shielded list and I support that. I'd prefer my at risk father to having shopping delivered by properly equipped delivery drivers using warehouse stock than volunteers in shops. And I never suggested you were stock piling

Hi don't know if anybody still watching this thread was going to call it a night but had to come back on, Government finally given Supermarkets list of vulnerable people, had email from SM to say so and was able to go online find a slot for next Thursday and place and order. Yippeeee!!! the thought of not having to struggle down stairs to the street and then to the supermarket and constantly worry I might get virus is sheer joy. so check all you ppls who registered or got letters as you may now actually get a slot. NN all best of luck.

Waitrose currently have a few slots for the next week. I've now got one for a week on Monday (13th).

So I think your being v unreasonable! You have a partner. What about the vulnerable people that dont! Look how worse off alot of other people are and get your husband to stop at the shops!

I totally understand what your saying. All the support and extra delivery slots and early/specific opening times are for elderly and vulnerable BUT you do have a partner to help shop. Or he could stay home with the children whilst you shop. I'm a single mum to 6 children, one being a baby and I've got no family to help me, no partner to sit in with the children. No delivery slot no nothing. Your lucky to have a partner AND a delivery slot. Don't know how I'll get shopping in a few weeks.......