UK - Resources for help getting food during quarantine and other supermarket related problems

Well, I mean, if by “help” they mean telling you to get your shopping online or telling you to contact the council who will help with a priority slot..
(there is also that NHS responders scheme thing which we have never used, as we managed to find a really nice lady in the neighbouring block of flats who helps us with occasional errands).

“Shopping
You are advised not to go to the shops. Use online shopping if you can, or ask others to collect and deliver shopping for you (friends, family, or a volunteer, including NHS Volunteer Responders). If you already have a priority delivery slot with a supermarket that will continue, you do not need to do anything frther.

If you cannot access food, your local council can offer support. This may include helping you to request a priority supermarket delivery slot (if you do not already have one) or help with shopping. See below for details on how to register for support.”.

 

It is shielding.. while not being “shielding”, at the same time..


“In addition, the Government is issuing new guidance to clinically extremely vulnerable people. This is set out in the following pages. Whilst this is not a return to the very restrictive shielding advice you may have followed earlier in the year, you are strongly advised to follow these extra precautionary shielding measures to help keep yourself safe. This remains advice, not the law.

You should stay at home as much as possible but are encouraged to go outdoors for exercising and attending health appointments. You are strongly advised to work from home. If you cannot work from home, then you should not attend work. You may be eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough). This letter is a formal shielding notification and can act as evidence for your employer to show that you cannot work outside your home until 2 December, including for statutory sick pay (SSP) purposes.

The new national restrictions, and this specific advice will apply across England for four weeks up to Wednesday 2 December. At the end of this period, we expect to return to guidance that is specific to your region, based on the latest data. We will write to you again with further information before then.”

 

My caree's GP seems to have registered her as "extremely vulnerable", which entitles her to priority for supermarket deliveries etc. However, the form asks whether there is someone you can rely on for all your shopping needs (that would be me), to which she's answered Yes. That in turn seems to disqualify her from priority deliveries Which is fine, except that it would be useful for me, for her sake, not to have to go to the supermarket regularly and risk exposure to the virus - and what happens if I get ill, break a leg or something? I have no backup. It seems to be very much an "either/or" situation. I'd have liked some sort of "I might need occasional help, although generally I should be able to manage"-type category.

 

She can resubmit the form with the 'right' answer to this question, so she gets priority delivery. You can update your answers as often as needed, but it can take a week or so for the information to get to the supermarkets.

 

I also only got priority delivery from Waitrose after I had my first delivery, although I didn't need to do that with Tesco or Sainsburys.

 

I,ve always kept plenty of reserves in case village cut off. I find priority delivery slots 8-2 and 2-10pm awkward as it can clash with me eating or carer here, and I need to put boxes on the floor for driver to put stuff in so carer could be tripping up. Much better to have a timed slot but harder to get as need to keep checking.
I do get Abel and Vole for milk, bread and fruit which has been a godsend and Tesco only every three weeks.

 

So, we're back to struggling to get supermarket slots again...

Despite getting priority delivery there was only a single slot available (for 2 week's time) when I just checked Waitrose.

However, I have found Waitrose the best in my area recently, as good as Ocado. It appears that since they parted from Ocado they don't pick items from the local store, but rather the online orders work like Ocado. I could see this because things showing 'out of stock' when I went in to amend my order still came. The only issue is that if you then proceed with amending an order which contains an out of stock item you preciously had in your basket, it gets removed on checkout. But if you cancel the amendments and revert to the original order then the item is clearly still reserved for you and gets delivered. This is different from Ocodo which keeps the reserved item in your basket, even if it's not available for a new order.

I've not had any problems with missing or damaged items since Waitrose parted with Ocado, so with their new £40 minimum spend and free delivery, I've made them my main supermarket for food, just using Tesco for toiletries.

 

I gave away most of the cans I had from my previous government food parcels to the local food bank last month, as I really don't like canned soup and am trying to change to eating organic food only. I think they may have had a lot of donations over the Xmas period as they are showing they have 'plenty of everything, struggling with storage', although that might not be up to date (they are poor at keeping up the news on their website).

 

I hope Waitrose take this opportunity to expand, like Ocado has done. In my area I still had to book slots about 10 days ahead of time, but there was a choice of slots for the 10-14 day period. I don't know what time Waitrose add their next day's slot. I will try to work this out. I still have my Tesco mid-week pass which I could change to an any day one if required.

I've not asked my daughter to shop for me over the last few months (since September) as she was under so my stress working in a secondary school. Not sure how things will be for her this term, even head teachers are learning about the changes in schools from the news with no more notice than the public!

 

I'm still having mostly Ocado & ASDA deliveries as I think I have still got priority access with them and seem to be able to get slots fine at the moment.

I have registered with Waitrose though and had a handful of deliveries from them since the summer as I prefer Waitrose stuff to M&S but I've not got priority access and can only see 9 days ahead and there are few slots available. Mine seems to come from a local store ( think it says which store in the email) as I noticed the first one came form the Sheffield store but after that they've been coming from Newark which is 30 odd miles away. I think they must be expanding as well because one turned up in a hire van! They seem to randomly release slots round here, presumably depending on capacity, but only a day or two ahead which is no good for me.

I've not had a Tesco or Sainsburys delivery since the spring but I still seem to have priority access and can see slots available. I suspect they'll all have more staff of sick though in the coming weeks so it may get more tricky to get a slot!

 

We got on the Tesco list since OH has been shopping there (it's our nearest supermarket) for over 40 years, though we only have proof since he got a card from them, dunno when. Deffo over 20 years ago. Waitrose refused to take us on, despite my many years shopping at John Lewis.

I'd asked my GP to put me on their list of people who need priority list for shopping, but she refused. Having top rate Care and top rate Mobility on PIP obviously means I can get out and shop whenever I want. (She's not my actual GP, she's head of the Practice)

Hope Tesco continues to look after you. If they don't, write to their CEO - I had a long dispute over a purchase from John Lewis, and it was only when I found their CEO's email addy and wrote them that it was sorted out!

Useful web page to find CEO email for many companies!

Good luck!

 

I do the odd order with Ocado, mostly for store cupboard items as they have such a large range of organic items unavailable from other supermarkets in my area. My cats love their canned tuna in spring water, one can does all 4 of them, I give them it a couple of times a week (as they have quality grain free kibble)!

 

If it's any consolation @ladycatlover I was thrown off the sheilding list in the summer.

I had a phone call from an obnoxious GP at my practice whom I've never spoken to before who told me I was at no greater risk from Covid than anyone else. I tried to explain that I had severe ME ,which is classed as a neurological illness, a history of severe infections and asthma but it all fell on deaf ears of course. 'Shielding is an extreme measure' he pompously told me. Shielding - as in not going out, having little contact with people - pretty much my normal life! When I said to him that I intended to carry on shielding - he aggressively replied 'Well that's your choice'!

I think my own GP would have been fine about it as I've been seeing her for a long time and have gradually won her over and she's now very supportive but I couldn't get to speak to her. She's even said she worries about me. And at least it's not affected the priority access I have with the supermarkets who had already flagged me up - just not Waitrose.

 

IMO 'Shielding' has nothing to do with the risk of catching covid, or even personal risk of serious illness or death to an individual.

IMO 'Shielding' is solely about people who if they do catch covid-19 would be much more likely to have serious medical issues, and in doing so use up NHS resources. As these resources are finite the decision was apparently taken to act in a manner that shielded the NHS from these people, by isolating them and therefore, hopefully, preventing enough of them from getting ill and using NHS resources in a disproportionate manner.

You'd think that a GP would be able to see past the blatant political media speak and understand why 'shielding' exists - especially after it was 'paused' even though the risk of medical 'issues' continued (as there were no new treatments, or any, until someone was at deaths door) and individuals were at the same risk if they caught it as they were when 'shielded' - it was the NHS that was at reduced risk, not individuals (who by being forced to go back to work, told they could go into supermarkets, etc. were actually at higher risk) so 'shielding' was 'paused'.

 

As @ladycatlover suggested, write direct to the CEO’s office.
I used the MEAssociation “Vulnerable” letter and am now on Sainsbury’s priority list.

https://meassociation.org.uk/wp-con...Ps5YmCQfUQHkBEqTkUQKWdn54QHSaIqvq_y9vqmCMR7Gw

I hope this helps.

 

So far, I haven't had any problems getting slots at Tesco, even though I'm not on the priority list. Fingers crossed! I have a delivery about every fortnight, and try to make sure that I book each one about three weeks ahead. I just add my saved shopping list to the basket to reserve the slot, then change some of the items to those I actually need nearer the time.

It's worth knowing that Tesco don't reserve items in baskets, and I think this is true of at least some other supermarkets. They show the stock the computer says is generally available, but if it's not on the shelf when the staff pick the orders, often between 5am and 7am, it will either be substituted or not delivered.

It helps if you specify what alternatives you'd prefer. There was a phase in the early stages of supermarket deliveries where it really looked as if the staff were running a competition for the most bizarre substitution they could get away with, but now they're more likely to bring nothing at all if you don't add a note. Or they'll replace the 2kg pack of chicken breasts you need for a batch cook with a pack of two, because you haven't told them to bring multiple packs adding up to about the same weight.

Having said that, despite the occasional frustration, I rarely have a major problem with non-availability. I always go for the 8am to 9am slot or the one after it, to make sure that the order's picked by the early shift at a time when the shelves are likely to be best stocked.

 

I now have to book Ocado slots at least 3 weeks' in advance, in November I could get one within a few days (this changed in December, but that was due to the usual Xmas issues). Waitrose is now fully booked in all their 'priority slots', which only show 2 weeks ahead. I haven't checked Tesco or Sainsburys yet. Sainsburys have changed their priority system, it is now an 8 hour window as opposed to them reserving their normal slots for the vulnerable customers, as Tesco was in the spring/summer lockdown.

 

You'd think GPs would have better things to do! God forbid someone should be protected or get a little extra support that this guy thinks doesnt need it!

 

I can't help but marvel at the rapid increase in food parcel distribution technology that has been achieved in the last 6 months.

6 months ago it was deemed impossible to deliver cheese, sliced meat, or salad items, in a food parcel.

Simply couldn't be done.

Perfectly acceptable to deliver jars of sauces that required considerable amounts of cheese to make up, that were supposed to constitute 2-4 main meals - but the cheese needed to make them - totally impossible.

And yet.....in the current pictures of replacement school meal food parcels what do I see?

Cheese, sliced meat, and tomatoes.

The photo's do illustrate how little concern has been given to what people/children dependant on them eat, and of course they are disgusting, both in what's there, amounts, and that fresh produce seems to be expected to last 10 days (as in a loaf of bread, and other fresh things, like veg/fruit).

It does seem odd that cheese can now be delivered but not butter or even margarine, but I suppose food parcel tech can only move so fast.

The government has said that due to the quality they will be refunded, that is the government will get a refund, not the kids or their parents. The kids will just have to lump it.

Comments were also made about stopping such photos appearing on twitter - my thoughts on this would be 'speculative' and likely to be seem as 'political'.