Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Sainsburys priority for vulnerable people?

29 replies

chocolatesaltyballs22 · 30/03/2020 09:30

Hi,

Just wondered if anyone has had any joy getting a delivery slot with Sainsbury's if they are in the 1.5 million vulnerable category? I've been a long time Tesco delivery pass holder so feel a bit guilty switching however we can't get a slot with them. My husband is in the vulnerable category and registered with the government on Saturday, but when I try to get a slot with Sainsbury's they're not recognising him as vulnerable. Presumably there is a lead time with Sainsbury's getting their data from the government?

Sorry if this has already been asked but I haven't seen a thread on it elsewhere.

OP posts:
Flossie44 · 30/03/2020 09:35

I’m thinking exactly the same!!!! We are shielding due to my daughter being in vulnerable category. We strangely didn’t get a text or gov letter despite her health issues. So we too registered on sat with the gov. What happens now?? Do they look up the nhs no and then make it official?? We haven’t heard anything. Thought we’d get an automated email.
We haven’t got any delivery slots. I check several times a day. Yet some people I know, who aren’t vulnerable, have managed to get several lined up.

Let me know what you manage as I’m so stuck as to how to get food and supplies. Currently I have a friend who is dropping them at my gate. But she lives 30 mins from me!!

chocolatesaltyballs22 · 30/03/2020 09:39

My plan for the moment is to keep checking every day to see if they recognise him as vulnerable, just wondered whether others had had any success.

OP posts:
Flossie44 · 30/03/2020 09:56

Did he get a text or letter? Or just the self registration with nhs number??

notapizzaeater · 30/03/2020 09:58

We registered last week on the gov site, still not showing as vulnerable on Sainsbury's 😭

SinglePringle · 30/03/2020 09:58

My mother and father both received the government letter and I also registered them with the website. They’ve received an email from Sainsburys identifying them as vulnerable and telling them how to shop online / reserve a slot.

chocolatesaltyballs22 · 30/03/2020 10:15

He got the text @flossie44.

Thanks @singlepringle - roughly how long did it take from registering for them to get the email?

OP posts:
Flossie44 · 30/03/2020 10:16

I’m wondering if the initial gov text allows access to this then....

chocolatesaltyballs22 · 30/03/2020 10:17

Not sure why it wouldn't? He has been told to shield for 12 weeks. What I don't understand is why some people got a text, and some got a letter?

OP posts:
SinglePringle · 30/03/2020 10:23

OP it was less than 12 hours. I registered them one evening and my mum got the email the following morning.

Flossie44 · 30/03/2020 10:24

I agree. It’s confusing. We got nothing for dd. And yet she requires several nebulisers of drugs each day for her breathing. Every day!! Registered disabled for her breathing issues. And has nurses come to care for her for her breathing issues!! Classified as ‘severe’ in any report written.
Yet no letter or text!!

Blondiney · 30/03/2020 10:25

I got a text then a letter a few days later. Still not recognised by Sainsbury's though.

LittleLittleLittle · 30/03/2020 10:32

I got a text and a letter the day after.

My postmen (they are always men) don't turn up everyday normally and now as people self-isolate you may find that your post is erratic.

In regards to Sainsburys - absolutely nothing. If you are stuck getting immediate food help ask volunteers then contact your council. Councils should now have lists of who is extremely vulnerable.

Mlou32 · 30/03/2020 10:37

My friends works for a major supermarkets call centre and the amount of people calling up and saying that they are in the vulnerable category for the most ridiculous reasons is unbelievable. So don't be surprised if the genuinely vulnerable can't get slots.

chocolatesaltyballs22 · 30/03/2020 10:39

That really is a bit shit @Mlou32 but not surprising unfortunately. They should have some way of validating it though, if it's going to work correctly.

OP posts:
iVampire · 30/03/2020 10:44

I’m still struggling with getting any supermarket to recognise me as vulnerable.

Bit my local council hub (an offshoot of their national one) has been really helpful -
a) not all supermarkets have got it together yet, so persist
b) you need to register through the central hub, which I didn’t, so my admin task for the day is to go back in and change my ‘in need of food/support’ answer to ‘yes’ and hope there is something there that will help
c) local hub might idc have phone numbers/email addresses which actually get answered, so keep in touch. They can also arrange for someone to do a shop for you whilst you get this sorted out

iVampire · 30/03/2020 10:48

I was sad to read your post, Miou and it’s all too plausible,

I have the ‘shield’ letter, I have been trying to get through by email to find out how I can register a exceptionally vulnerable and all emails have gone unanswered,

If there really had been a deluge of those in less clear cut cases swamping out those in the most vulnerable (and easiest to prove) circumstances, that is a great shame

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 30/03/2020 10:54

My DM is a pass holder with Sainsbury’s but hadn’t used the delivery service since I set it up at Xmas.

She’s in her 70’s, wheelchair user with MS and breast cancer (and a few other things) and my DF is in his 80’s and struggles to walk much.

Registered them over a week ago with the government site and have made hundreds of calls to Sainsbury’s and yet to get through.

We have one family member nearby who is keeping them supplied, but if they get sick then there is nothing in place.

Flossie44 · 30/03/2020 12:25

Oh this is all so sad and frustrating!!

I’ve just spoken to my daughters consultants secretary. She said that it’s a breach of confidentiality that supermarkets are asking for this info. However I’m MORE than happy to have this info disclosed to help the situation

LittleLittleLittle · 30/03/2020 12:31

@Flossie44 the point of the database is that you personally give the government permission to share that you are extremely vulnerable with third parties that can help you.

@OhCrumbsWhereNow can you find the nearest mutual aid facebook group to your mother? covidmutualaid.org/local-groups/

PumpkinP · 30/03/2020 12:34

We got a text but no letter so can’t register

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 30/03/2020 12:44

@LittleLittleLittle - my sister is looking into that at the moment. Fingers crossed that there is something as they are very rural. In the meantime I keep trying Sainsburys....

chocolatesaltyballs22 · 30/03/2020 12:49

@pumpkinp why?? My husband only got a text, but has registered as vulnerable on the government database.

OP posts:
OhCrumbsWhereNow · 30/03/2020 12:57

The Sainsbury's system is utterly useless - they ask you to input a Nectar card. You do that, it says thank you, then tells you that you haven't inputted one.

Then tells you to redial the number you have just dialled and transfers you to annoying music for hours on end. Finally it cuts you off and tells you to try again.

I've been calling them for at least 3 hours a day for a week. It's truly ridiculous.

chocolatesaltyballs22 · 30/03/2020 12:58

Oh FFS what's the point then - no one can get slots that way, whether vulnerable or not!

OP posts:
CyberPixie · 30/03/2020 13:05

Registered on gov website but no email from sainsburys. Next day though, 3 days worth of slots appeared. They only seem to be releasing them and showing for the following 1-3 days and not weeks in advance.

Ocado have no slots when looking at what's available but on the front page after logging in they offer a fixed slot for the following day.