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

meg22 said:
I'm in the process of writing to my local Sainsbury's and Tesco in an attempt to get flagged up as vulnerable. I was thinking of sending a copy of my PIP award. Also a copy of the letter on the AFME website (https://www.actionforme.org.uk/uploads/images/2020/03/letter-to-supermarkets-MECFS-270320.pdf) in the hope that it may then get passed up to someone higher and they realise the problem. The slight problem for me is that the post seems to have stopped here as well. Sheffield seems to be a bit of a hotspot with the 3rd highest No of cases so not sure my letters will actually get through.
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I'm doing this too
 
Letter I sent to Ocado customer services:

>
Hello,

I am writing to ask that you consider giving me priority access to your website and delivery slots. I am severely disabled, housebound, live on my own and have no local support from family. I also suffer with a medical condition that puts me at higher risk and I need to self-isolate. I have attached my award letter for Personal Independence Payment from the DWP as proof of my severe disability.

Please also note that I have been a loyal and regular customer of yours for several years now (you can check the history on my account to see this).

I hope you will support me in this capacity.
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And their reply:

Our support centres and drivers have worked tirelessly to identify our vulnerable customers and make changes to the way we operate to prioritise their needs, including giving them priority access to Ocado.com. We’re also part of the industry-wide effort that is working with the government to identify vulnerable customers. We expect to receive the government's vulnerable people list soon and will cross reference it with our customer base.

If you're a customer living in England and you're concerned you may not have already been identified as extremely vulnerable, please visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable to register onto the government’s list. You'll be asked for your NHS number (but you can still register if you don’t have it). You can find this on any letter the NHS has sent you or a prescription.
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Not good...
 
I know this isnt the right thread but i've looked and too ill to search for general ME coping during corvid, but i woke up with one completely blocked nostril this morning and in the last half an hour, my nose has become really stuffy and i'm feeling fluey.

Ive been getting really run down over the weekend from the constant searching and trying to figure out how to stay alive without government bullying so half of me is praying its just the usual ME punching me in the face; the other half of me isn't :unsure:

Excuse me while i search my flat for my stubborn will to survive, i appear to have misplaced amidst the exhaustion. Maybe its in the kitchen, in the form of something nice to eat.
 
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Hell..hath..no..fury... said:
Now pondering where i could squeeze an extra freezer into my tiny flat :D
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I have just (today) ordered a table top freezer (it was something I was thinking about way before the epidemic); I already have a small one (part of my fridge freezer) so this should double capacity. They were all sold out before and I put an email request to let me know when they would be available again.

I have sort of worked out where it can go temporarily until I have sorted out a more permanent home in my tiny kitchen.

But the thing is I don't want the delivery guy coming into the house so am still trying to figure that one out.
 
Sly Saint said:
I have just (today) ordered a table top freezer (it was something I was thinking about way before the epidemic); I already have a small one (part of my fridge freezer) so this should double capacity. They were all sold out before and I put an email request to let me know when they would be available again.

I have sort of worked out where it can go temporarily until I have sorted out a more permanent home in my tiny kitchen.

But the thing is I don't want the delivery guy coming into the house so am still trying to figure that one out.
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I'm still trying to figure this out too lol
 
Sly Saint said:
I have just (today) ordered a table top freezer (it was something I was thinking about way before the epidemic); I already have a small one (part of my fridge freezer) so this should double capacity. They were all sold out before and I put an email request to let me know when they would be available again.
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Just a bit of a warning here: in my limited experience ("inherited" tabletop freezer from local council when they discontinued freezer meals), tabletop freezers may not be as effective at keeping home-frozen food frozen as "proper" freezers (especially things like bread and veg, but possibly also more vulnerable things like ice cream). So I'd say put the commercially frozen stuff in the tabletop one and keep the home-frozen stuff in the main freezer.
 
Tuesday 31/03 8am

Sainsburys have again opened a few days worth of delivery slots for those not on the vulnerable customer list for those needing a delivery.

I have no idea if this is just my local store but I would doubt it - it seems more likely that it's a policy thing to periodically open a few.
 
Tesco seem to be opening their delivery slots to anyone at midnight each night for single date in three weeks' time. My daughter stayed awake and prepared for several nights before managing to nab a slot. Each time she tried the slots filled within seconds, usually before the slots had even loaded for her to select.
 
I wish I’d signed up for the rest of them at the start of this. All I have is ASDA and Morrison’s as an option.

I did get a reply from another meals on wheels type service from my local council website. They are in my town and are normally a deli cafe selling food that also deliver.

as a side note, they also do a meal delivery service for the vulnerable delivering once or twice a week and also (usually) offer to pack the food away for you.

They have a choice of 8 set meals (fresh I think) and you can order 6 meals for £24. I’m presuming if you chose the twice a week option, it would be three meals at a time.

They are going to ring me this afternoon :banghead: not well enough but will have to try. To discuss my options.

Twice a week is too much for me. Hoping I can maybe get a delivery once a week of 3 meals and use these to make my rations stretch further and test the waters to see what it’s like.
 
Trish said:
My local council's version of Meals on Wheels is to tell you to sign up and order your meals from one of the frozen meals companies, like Wiltshire Farm Foods.
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Mine gave three options, wiltshire (that isn't accepting newbies)
A local company who won't deliver to my town and told me to try age uk - even though advertised on my local council website.
And this last company who are ringing today. I text them a couple of days ago and got no reply so i wasnt expecting a positive response (though i'll wait to speak to them first)
 
Morrisons food boxes now seem to be running a queuing system - not sure exactly what for but it looks like waiting for the opportunity to be able to to add a box to your cart.

You are placed in a queue, we apologise for the wait. We are working hard to increase availability and facilitate demand so we can serve as many customers as possible. Estimated queue duration: 14 minutes, 30 seconds.
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https://www.morrisons.com/food-boxes/box/Meat-Food-Box

Queuing time here is showing as 14 and a half minutes.

I was just checking availability, it's probably a good idea to have an idea as to status of various options.

I'm not going to order (I grabbed a sainsburys slot earlier) but, assuming I don't forget, I'll see what happens when the timer (which says I've been placed in a queue but isn't updating) should be up.

That'll be shortly after 10.30am
 
Wonko said:
Morrisons food boxes now seem to be running a queuing system - not sure exactly what for but it looks like waiting for the opportunity to be able to to add a box to your cart.



https://www.morrisons.com/food-boxes/box/Meat-Food-Box

Queuing time here is showing as 14 and a half minutes.

I was just checking availability, it's probably a good idea to have an idea as to status of various options.

I'm not going to order (I grabbed a sainsburys slot earlier) but, assuming I don't forget, I'll see what happens when the timer (which says I've been placed in a queue but isn't updating) should be up.

That'll be shortly after 10.30am
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Well spotted :thumbup: it was the usual page 10 minutes ago, 17 minutes 30 for me

Eta: timer updates when we refresh the page
 
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