supermarkets restricting all delivery and collection slots for vulnerable

[pigoons]

In principle I know this seems sensible but in reality I think it is problematic

1. My parents are late 70s. They are OK with basic internet use but are struggling to do an online shop. I want to do it for them but am excluded because I am not classed as vulnerable according to their data and no supermarket is picking up their phones to discuss with me.

2. We have been self-isolating. We have no family nearby who has been able to shop for us. Neighbours have been kind but because of restrictions on basic items we have struggled to get things we need as they are trying to support large families / their own elderly parents. We have been vulnerable during the time of self-isolation but no retailer recognises this.

3. Single parent families with young children are vulnerable too because of restrictions saying no children or only one family member instore

4. Families whose members have food allergies etc are extremely vulnerable at the moment because of food shortages of certain items - again this is not recognised

I agree that the majority of home deliveries should be available for vulnerable people, but I think that more click and collect locations should be opened up but not reserved for vulnerable people.

They aren’t prioritising correctly
Try getting through o then you can’t
Email- I asked specifically where do I send proof of conditions and dla etc etc they sent back a generic response that they’ve identified all vulnerable customers - they haven’t

I agree.

Have posted on another thread that am supposed to be self isolating as my child have symptoms. Am a delivery pass holder but all slots now for the vulnerable. I am logging on at all times and it’s makes me sick with the stress. I am a teacher and juggling teaching live lessons with also looking after my own children. I can’t stay up to 3 am or whatever and then teach in the day - and even then I can’t be guaranteed a a slot!

We have no support network so it’ll be a case of going out and guessing when shops will be the most quiet or starve.

Dd is hypospleenic and gets an annual flu jab due to autoimmune diseases, one of which is coeliac disease which along with multiple food allergies is causing issues.

We don’t seem to be able to access the sainsburys vulnerable priority system as it’s only for those in the extreme vulnerable category I believe.

I’m lucky that due to being organised I had slots booked before this kicked off. Am ok for the next 3 weeks. After that I assume I will have to go into a supermarket and hope I don’t bring it back to Dd.

Thanks for your replies. This is such a difficult situation for everyone but I am fed up with the simplistic approach being taken to food distribution at the moment.

Yes. Very easy for the government to say delivery services but they are now limited and I read the posters on here who seem to have endless slots so am wondering if it’s a regional thing?

They're really stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. Unprecedented levels of demand and huge reductions in staff.

My parents are late 70s. They are OK with basic internet use but are struggling to do an online shop. I want to do it for them but am excluded because I am not classed as vulnerable according to their data

If your parents are allocated a slot, wouldn't they be able to provide you with their log-in details so you can still do the shop for them? Not something I'd advocate doing as a rule, but this isn't exactly a normal situation and would solve one of your problems.

How does this work because we got a text to say my son is extremely vulnerable and needs to stay in for 12 weeks but we haven’t had a letter (I’ve had no posts for about 2 weeks which is unusual) and I haven’t been contacted by any supermarkets as being vulnerable

Are the slots only for the extremely vulnerable? We fit the criteria for vulnerable but not extremely vulnerable. Should we not be trying for delivery slots?

We have a slot booked for next week...I’m shopping for 5 in my family, plus my parents and brother who are all vulnerable, two elderly neighbours and a couple of random requests for two friends on 12 week isolation. The elderly neighbours wouldn’t be able to do the minimum basket spend alone I don’t think but they are very grateful I can add their shop to mine. It was an 80 item limit and to be honest I could’ve gone well over that. I’ve been trying to visit the shops for everyone this week and I’m shattered. So no answers here I’m afraid.

I’m vulnerable but my DH isn’t therefore we don’t qualify as he can still go out.
Not that I want him bringing anything home but not much can be done about that

It's a really tough one. My son has autoimmune issues and while he probably wouldn't be shielding, he would be vulnerable. But his diagnosis is in progress so he wouldn't qualify. This virus will very likely kill him if he gets it, no exaggeration. I have no idea what we will do

Op Are you doing it in their name, not yours?
Gawd I'm not surprised though - people who are ordering shedloads of diet coke and snacks have not been kicked off yet in our store, and they haven't had the grace to relinquish their slot. Big karma, though for the people who were ordering 3x24 packs of toilet roll as all the toilet roll was sold out ...

They should NOT be booking people’s pre booked slots
Going forward they can prioritise whoever they want I suppose but it’s unfair to cancel pre booked ones

cancelling not booking

@ACertainSupermarket I've got a shedload of diet coke coming with my shopping and I'm in the extremely vulnerable group.

No supermarket is yet aware of who is officially in the extremely vulnerable group.

So don't presume just because people are buying things you don't approve off, they aren't in that group.

Is this all supermarkets? DH and I are both key workers working flat out (DH 7 days a week, 14 hour days at the moment) with very small children and will really really struggle if our shopping delivery is cancelled.

Which supermarkets are doing this?

Have an Asda delivery booked for end of next week, hope it doesn’t get cancelled as we are self isolating and I’m single parent with young children

We are with Tesco and now limited to 80 items, only 3 of each.

So the big idea of getting a delivery for the neighbourhood since we had a couple of prebooked slots over the next couple of weeks is being diminished to getting some stuff for one or two of them. You try to help...

I don't know how the new gov scheme is gonna work out but I applied for it in behalf on my MIL yesterday. I'm thinking I'll be able to make the orders online for her and they'll get delivered to her door. I'm only guessing though as I'm not quite sure how the scheme will work in practice.

I don't think they are though in practice, at least not for now. I can only hope it will happen though very soon.

I understand that everyone is worried, everyone has unique situations, to an extent everyone is vulnerable but it's a sliding scale.

I'm desperate for Ocado to give us priority. We are long standing customers and our very young DD is an organ transplant patient. We are terrified to go to the shops for even the slight risk of bringing it home. She's immuno-suppressed, received the 'extremely vulnerable letter' and has already in her short life been in intensive care fighting for her life. We cannot bear the thought of going through the hell again.

We've emailed Ocado 3 times this week, have been told our situation has 'been noted' but that's it.

Sorry OP, but obviously I think that people in the extremely vulnerable category should get the deliveries. I really feel for people who have parents over 70 (as I do), who are single parents, who are having to juggle work with childcare but the whole point of being told to shield the extremely vulnerable means you should not go to the shops:-(

I'm sorry we're all going through this, I truly send love out to all of you.

That’s why Tesco’s stopped it. Too many people ordering for themselves and several neighbours

I’m in the “forgotten category” as I suspect a lot of others will be.
Single mum to a 2 year old. Type 1 diabetic, no family near me (different city) no partner. I’m classed as vulnerable because of diabetes but not extremely vulnerable so I seem to have slipped through the cracks

Redrover - I'm sorry you feel you've slipped through any cracks:(

Could you get a neighbour or someone from this new NHS system of volunteers out for you?