To be really upset with asda?

[ThankYouAsda]

I'm a very lone parent of two children, 6 year old is a blue badge holder due to her disabilities and her 3 year old sister is autistic.

We receive the FSM vouchers for both children as I can't work due to DD1's needs. The only place you can use the vouchers online is Asda.

About 2 weeks ago I placed a click and collect order for Asda today, to pick up 11am. Used £30 worth of vouchers (the second week comes next week) and paid the additional.

Somehow the store had no knowledge of the order. I literally havd no food in the house apart from a punnet of blueberries and several boxes of cereal. I asked if there was no way they could do it today and I collect later, he shrugged his shoulders and told me to go and get it myself. I genuinely can not take both children in the store on my own, hence click and collect.

So then I rang customer services who told me to rebook whilst they processed the refund, I could possibly receive the refund tomorrow but most likely after the weekend. There are also no click and collect slots available until Tuesday. I would have been happy if they could have given us a slot tomorrow. I also need the voucher refunded before I can do the order, although worst case scenario I could have done a split order and ordered the voucher stuff for in the week and the urgent essentials using cash.

To order the cash side of the order would be using the fuel costs for the week until the refund is processed so its tricky but food is essential.

Sorry have ended up in a ramble.

AIBU to think they could have done something to help me get a food slot either this evening or tomorrow considering it was their error?

I can't get a slot at any supermarket until Monday so I'm completely stuck. The money side is hugely inconvenient considering we have the lowest income but the lack of being able to get a slot has really upset me.

I'm prepared to be told I'm being unreasonable, I've had 2 hours sleep!

[Twinkie01]

Try Iceland, they are bloody brilliant. You only have to spend £35 for next day delivery and their fish especially is brilliant. You can change your order up to 11pm the night before too.

[Illberidingshotgun]

@Happycat1212

You can get dla for under 5s

Absolutely - my DS received it from 2. That's the care component, mobility is only given to under 5's in certain circumstances. Sounds like you may have had difficulty obtaining it for a DC? (Often a difficult process, I know)

[MyDcAreMarvel]

I have been very impressed with Iceland whilst shielding.

[Imnotbent]

@ThankYouAsda
The free nursery places are woefully underfunded and funding for disabled children can be really difficult, even if the EHAP awards it private nursery's often won't give the hours, LA and Charity run nursery's are much better. I've seen parents have that battle and it fails the very children (and parents) that usually need it most.

With higher rates you should be looking at way over £500 a week plus mobility / Motability and the other benefits? If you're not you need that checked.

@CandyLeBonBon Asda have done this to me a few times, once they sent the unamended order, even though my confirmation showed the amended order. Once they sent a cancelled order, once they sent two orders and other times it didn't arrive as it wasn't on their system. No system is infallible however the problem is customer services are outsourced and couldn't give a fuck. You do not get to speak to your local store manager. Right now our Asda store is not accepting customer calls at all unless its optician or prescription.

[AmyDudley]

Where I am, I can always get a next day delivery from Iceland. Apologies if you have tried them and it's not the same near you, but a lot of people don't know they do deliveries. They don't have a massive range, but you can get staples and fresh fruit and veg.
I think they take FSM vouchers - though I'm not certain.

Sorry you've been left with no groceries, it sounds very difficult for you, I've had shit service from ASDA in the past too

[Imnotbent]

EHCP I meant

[WetWeekends]

@WrongKindOfFace

When did three year olds start getting FSM vouchers?

Since Covid, some areas are using the “Winter Grant Money” to give FSM vouchers to some 2 and 3 year olds in low income families.

[Clevererthanyou]

Hi op, I've sent you a DM with some details that my H gave me about customer services, he works for ASDA, I hope this helps you.

[WetWeekends]

@Imnotbent

Hopefully you have someone who can help you out over the weekend. If you have no food and no money you can contact your local council for emergency payments, even on a Bank Holiday.

As a single parent with two disabled children, one with a blue badge you should have a regular income from DLA and Tax Credits or UC, which will be quite substantial. If you are living hand to mouth perhaps you should contact the council or CAB for benefits advice?

“Quite substantial”
You have no idea whether the OP has to top up her rent payments, whether she has a mortgage to pay, whether she has debt etc

[Cherryblossom7]

That absolutely sucks!!

Can you order a Morrisons box or the bare essentials from Amazon food cupboard with prime delivery?

[breatheinskipthegym]

I hope you get the issue at hand sorted soon, @ThankYouAsda. For future, Sainsbury’s accept FSM meal vouchers online, although they’ve a bit of a cumbersome process around converting it to an e gift card, and limiting it to 2 vouchers/no more than £50 vouchers per order.

[Imnotbent]

@wetweekends no I don't which is why I suggested she gets it checked 🙄 because if your literally relying on FSM vouchers and don't have a penny there is help available.

[GonnaBeYoniThisChristmas]

Sounds like an unusual (and I agree extremely annoying balls up from Asda).

I would devote an hour or to to following up the customer services leads you have now and then if you have truly nothing I guess borrow some milk and baked beans from your neighbours.

Then start back on Asda again tomorrow. Maybe easier on Saturday as it’s a normal retail day whereas today is a bank holiday.

[Staffy1]

A 3 year old can get DLA. And even with only middle rate care and no mobility the income should be at least £500 in hand every week

Nowhere near that amount!

[Katyy]

Come on ASDA sort this out !

[Esquire3]

Your story doesn't ring true because I also receive the vouchers and you pick where you want to spend them from a number of supermarkets and asda don't take the money out of your account till the day before(I shop with them delivery) but if there's no trace of order then they wouldn't of taken money?

[ThankYouAsda]

@Esquire3 yes I pick asda because they are the only ones who you can use online. I had to collect today, money came out yesterday. I have the confirmation and head office can see it but for whatever reason it didn't make it to the store to the point the store don't have it on their system at all.

Thank you for all the head office tips, will be chasing them up. I wonder if part of the issue is they didn't quite follow what had gone wrong when I explained.

I think I have got sorted for the next couple of days, thank you for the tips!

[Staffy1]

@Staffy1

A 3 year old can get DLA. And even with only middle rate care and no mobility the income should be at least £500 in hand every week

Nowhere near that amount!

In fact even with lower mobility rate included, it's not even anywhere that amount per month, never mind week, so don't know where this information came from.

[Imnotbent]

@Staffy1 you're wrong, it's two children on DLA

[CandyLeBonBon]

[quote Imnotbent]@ThankYouAsda
The free nursery places are woefully underfunded and funding for disabled children can be really difficult, even if the EHAP awards it private nursery's often won't give the hours, LA and Charity run nursery's are much better. I've seen parents have that battle and it fails the very children (and parents) that usually need it most.

With higher rates you should be looking at way over £500 a week plus mobility / Motability and the other benefits? If you're not you need that checked.

@CandyLeBonBon Asda have done this to me a few times, once they sent the unamended order, even though my confirmation showed the amended order. Once they sent a cancelled order, once they sent two orders and other times it didn't arrive as it wasn't on their system. No system is infallible however the problem is customer services are outsourced and couldn't give a fuck. You do not get to speak to your local store manager. Right now our Asda store is not accepting customer calls at all unless its optician or prescription.[/quote]
All the more reason to get in touch with hq then. They don't like their public image tarnishing!

[Staffy1]

[quote Imnotbent]@Staffy1 you're wrong, it's two children on DLA[/quote]
Even if it is, it's not going to be 500 per week. For one on middle rate disability and lower rate mobility, it's 83 per week.

[Imnotbent]

@Staffy1 did you read my post properly? I said income and I'm not wrong.

[Clarich007]

Happened to me a while ago..I was having 14 people round for a meal.The order came and I was 3 bags missing.Rang customer services with a few minutes, as soon as I realised, but nothing could be done.They didn't care at all, just refunded me for the missing items Wouldn't even ring the driver to ask him to come back..I appreciate they are on a time schedule, but it wasn't my fault either.

[perfectstorm]

A 3 year old can get DLA. And even with only middle rate care and no mobility the income should be at least £500 in hand every week, way higher if high rate care or mobility is included. Housing benefit (if rent) and council tax benefit, (or UC), 15 hours nursery fees, school meals, prescriptions and other health costs are paid on top of that. The benefit cap does not apply if DLA is paid. I think that is substantial.

Middle rate care isn't £500 a week! It's £59.70

I get higher rate care and lower rate mobility for my son. That's £89.15 for the care and £23.60 for the mobility.

The idea a parent would get £500 a week for lower rate needs and no mobility component is bizarre. That would be £26 grand a year, untaxed, for one moderately disabled child. It's a nice idea that we live in a land of milk and honey, willing to pay a nanny's wage, effectively, to parents with a disabled child - but it's just not true.

Here is the government page for present rates: www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/rates

And you have to prove at least 35 hours a week of care, over and above that a child of their age would need, to qualify. That's why it is difficult to get for very small children. If a young child has it, their needs are very, very high indeed.

Obtaining DLA is often desperately upsetting for many parents. I'm not unusual in having failed to apply for two years after first asking for the form, because it's lengthy, and requires you to specify in minute detail all that your child can't do. It gave me sleepless nights. It forces you to think about their struggles in a way that is brutally frank, and hard to deal with - it's your normal, so you don't usually have to confront it head-on like that. You also need a stack of professional supporting evidence. It's difficult, to say the least, but it has allowed us to meet our son's needs better, so was worth it. But it's not riches.

[perfectstorm]

And prescriptions are free for all children, so that's not right, either.