Does the item limit apply if you're also shopping for other people?

[CliveyBaby]

We are currently doing one big weekly shop, and a quick run to the greengrocers in between. However we've now started shopping for some neighbours too (a little older), and I'm wondering if can still only buy say 3 tins of tomatoes if it's for two households, or would they let us have 6? The only "proof" I could provide would be a texted shopping list from them!

I think the limit is still in place. Otherwise plenty of CFs would claim to be buying for neighbours and buy more than their fair share. Much easier for the staff to limit it for everyone with no grey area than to start asking for proof or special dispensations.

Maybe you could liaise with your neighbour - could they have 1 tin of tomatoes and you have 2 this week. And alternate next week.

I don't know, but surely anyone could say they are shopping for someone else as well to get more items. Not saying you are.

I’ve thought about this too as I’m now having to go shopping twice a week instead of once as I’m also shopping for my parents , I can see why they do it but for genuine people it’s rubbish as we’re out more than needed

Yes it does.

I think it needs to, or every cheeky fucker going would be texting each other to get more.

Yes, it still applies

Yes it does, but a local shop very kindly let me have two loaves of bread the other day, as I was buying for 3 people

The limit doesn't make any sense now, except maybe for things that a particular supermarket has a shortage of in that timeframe. Most things have availability back to normal. Restricting purchases just means people have to shop more often.

One of my friends is shopping for her mum, her MIL and her elderly aunt plus her own family of 4 adults. The limits mean she has to go shopping at least twice a week for basics. I don’t know what the solution is though.

But what if people could take copies of official DWP awards for Carers Alliwance, DLA, PIP, Attendance Allowance? Would that work?

Yes it does. I find it easier to do other people's shop's separately anyway, so I can give them a proper receipt for just their shopping and it's clear to everyone how much they owe.

It still applies.

The only way I can get around the restrictions when buying food at the CO-OP for our vulnerable families is by taking a signed letter, my CO-OP work ID (I work at a CO-OP Academy) and by using the £20 per week per child vouchers that each family receives from the CO-OP.

Even then there isn't too much lee-way and you can only take so much.

But what if people could take copies of official DWP awards for Carers Alliwance, DLA, PIP, Attendance Allowance? Would that work?

No, not really... they're trying to minimise contact between you and the workers, not have the workers check over paperwork that could be infected, and you'd have to take everywhere.

We're doing a shop for us and a shop for 2 groups of elderly people. If we go at quiet times, we can go together and one of us shops for us, one for whoever we're shopping for, and we pay for them separately. Otherwise we're just having to shop more and do it separately.

Hmm fair enough - yes I suppose it'd be impossible to police! The local greengrocers didn't have any limits /care, I filled a small box for the neighbours and a shopping bag for us and paid for them separately so I could give the neighbours their receipt.

I was stopped at the checkout in Asda. I had 2 loads of shopping on the conveyor belt, separated. I explained that one was for my sister, but it’s a max of 3 of each items
per customer, not per shop.

When I got back to the car my mum messaged asking me to get a few things for her, so I joined the queue outside and went in again. I felt like a criminal going back in!

Yes I think it’s does and should still apply.

It does, but you could go out the next day and buy for your neighbour.

I'm hoping they'll be able to make some allowances for this now everyone has stopped panic buying. I was thinking about showing the people at the supermarket my neighbours' very obviously "older person" handwriting on her shopping list today but thought better of it. I don't want to put the shop assistants in an awkward position.

The limits are a pain and I think badly thought out. It just means you have to go out for supplemental shops, which just doesn't make sense. For a family of four, you can't buy enough veg or salad to last the week, and certainly not enough to buy for someone else. This isn't stockpiling either, just trying to buy a normal weekly shop for four.

It does apply. DH has got round it (we are currently a house of 6 adults, not stockpiling) by mixing things up a bit eg 3 packs of microwave egg fried rice plus one pack of special egg fried rice (there is a prize for anyone spotting what makes it special!).

I had to take things out of my Tesco online basket to get it to update, even though i have 7 people in my family and I'm also shopping for my vulnerable mum, 81 items still cost nearly £200 though so it's a fair amount of shopping

I appreciate why the limits were put in place but now things have settled down it makes shopping tricky. We are trying to shop as little as possible as I'm high risk so my partner is going. We are also shopping for a relative who is high risk and a neighbour too where possible. Perhaps they could relax the item restriction on things other than essentials which would allow us to buy a bit more, just being creative with it.

It is a really difficult situation, I have MS so I am staying home for 12 weeks with my immediate family, none of us are going out, I am trying to help my closest elderly neighbours, who are 80+ & don’t have internet access, I am reliant on deliveries atm.