shielding a shopping.

[Devlesko]

Stupid question but going to do an online food shop for the first time.
How will they know that I'm shielding?
Don't want to go all the way through and find there's no slots.
Do I need to register somewhere? I have a shielding letter.
My dh can usually shop, I wouldn't take a slot but he is ill atm (not covid related) and can't go.

On most of them you can view slots before adding all your shopping. But most places have plenty of slots available now. Usually 2/3 days ahead though. Probably won't get next day slot

I don't know about shielding, but with Tescos you can certainly book at slot at the beginning, not usually many available though so it's worth you looking at the shielding question as there may be more slots available.

If you have trouble getting slots, one place around here that always has them are Iceland. It might not give you the perfect shop, but you'll certainly be able to buy a sufficient choice of food for a few weeks.

Oh, great thank you. I thought slots would be pretty much booked up.

www.gov.uk/coronavirus-shielding-support you have to register here for priority slots.

On Sainsbo there’s a box to tick if you’re isolating when you check out.

I haven't seen the letter for new shielded, but assuming that not much has changed, you need to register on the central government hub and say you need help with food deliveries. Food parcels have ended, so the remaining help means putting your name on the list that supermarkets can 'see' to prove your shielded status.

You then go onto the site and book a slot from those available. Priority status usually meant that you could book slots as soon as they were released (other customers might have to wait, depending on how they are prioritised)

If you are finding that you can not get a slot at any supermarket you are prepared to use, ring customer services and see if they can do a further fiddle with your prioritisation.

You can book your slot before you start filling your only be trolley, so you don't need to waste time at that point

It says (last time I looked) that you (general 'you') don't qualify for a priority slot if you have someone living with you who 'can' go to a shop.

So I don't qualify because my adult DC is here temporarily, even though I have a shielding letter, group 4, blue badge, etc etc.

I have wondered what will happen if DC becomes unwell.

I guess we just tick the 'No' box for 'can anyone who lives with you go to a shop?' and then correct it later?

I rang tesco gave them my details she looked me up on a system then gave me priority access. When I go and book my slot there's one that says 'priority slots' even in April I was always able to book a slot through that. Last year they also allowed priority slot customers to book on Easter Sunday as well, if your still needing slots might be useful.

Slots are easily available you won't need priority now anyway

Just try a few different supermarkets, one will have a suitable slot, even without priority access.
Or do as advised above and register with the government as a shielder.
I think you get a guaranteed weekly slot with supermarkets like Sainsburys etc then.

In the delivery instructions, write that you are shielding and need a contactless delivery.

Then they either just leave the carrier bags on the doorstep or if you don't want carrier bags leave a couple of boxes on the doorstep for the delivery drive to unload the groceries into.

When they ring the bell, just wave through a window since you have selected contactless, shouldn't even be necessary to open the front door until they are back in van/gone.

Also if they email you to say there are substitutions, if you don't want them leave a note on the door or in the boxes specifying which ones so you don't have to go face-to-face to deal with that as well.

The drivers are supposed to wear masks I think, but certainly in reality many don't. So feel free to ask them to or not open the door etc.

If you are going carrier-bag-free and leaving boxes outside, put them out up to 1 hour early, as often they come early without calling first and it can be stressful rushing around sorting getting boxes onto the step while they are stood there waiting without a mask on

And select/book the slot before filling your online trolley with groceries.

Then you get 1 or 2 hours (depending on the supermarket) to finish the checkout process.

I needed stuff today and couldn't go out so booked an Iceland slot at 10pm last night. Shopping came at 8.30 this morning no questions asked as to whether shielding and was v surprised at the quality as have never shopped there before.

Plus if you need the shopping v soon and are an Amazon Prime customer, you can get same-day deliveries from Morrisons by using the normal Amazon website, think it's called Amazon Now.

And perhaps some other Amazon thing called Amazon Fresh.

Depends on your area, but I can get Amazon Now in the backend of nowhere where I live.

An alternative option may be to ask if there’s a local coronavirus help group in your community - often there will be a Facebook group or on the Nextdoor App, people will just go shopping for you and you pay them back

Yes, your local council will have a web page for coronavirus help, it should list community groups that will get shopping for you.

We could only get a priority slit through Tesco last year, we called them & they gave us access (you need an account with them first). No-one else would help out. Our Tesco slots are booked up weeks in advance but I noticed a few pop up for the next day or so nearer the time. I would call Tesco. The only thing that annoys me about them is that their priority slots (8 hours) cost the same as their 1 hour slots, so it's best to book one of those if you can. Last summer the priority slots were only £1, now £4.50 which I think is awful when people have no choice.