I thoroughly expected something like this to happen simply because we are living in strange and interesting times and council admin must be a nightmare....
Just answered the door to a very pleasant woman from the council who asked me if I was OldQueensMumsname....... my late mother who passed away on April 27th from cancer, because they are checking that people who are on the shielding list have everything they need.
I'm glad they are doing this obviously, because vulnerable people still need support.
I thanked her and was pleasant and pragmatic about it because it's not her fault, she's just been given a list, but was struck by the irony - in the first few weeks of lockdown my Mum was bombarded by texts and literature urging her to sign up but because her needs were all specifically medical and we as family were able to do everything else, she didn't follow it up because others would need the services more. We encountered a few cases of virtual obstruction to keep her medical needs met because of the paranoia around the virus, culminating in the threat of delay of cremation and possible autopsy because no GP would see her face to face in her last couple of months - it was all phone conversations and relays from the district nurses who were visiting every other day for her drain - which often delayed decisions on better palliative care - but Mum was a very stoic character who grumbled a bit but understood.
Council lady was very sympathetic and gave me a card if I need any help with bereavement etc..... I know she probably didn't look at ages on her list but as I'm not dressed yet and look a bit wild I can forgive her for thinking the shielding person might have been me - note to self, time to address personal care perhaps because if I look 76 rather than 51 while ungroomed I may have let myself go somewhat....
I used the "Tell us once" facility and the council was very quick to point out an overpayment of HB, but of course it must be a nightmare joining up all the dots over every department especially now.
Covid - the gift that keeps on giving eh? I hope she isn't worrying about having upset me though - and I wonder how many times this will happen to others?