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

[Trish]

We had Riverford veg boxes for years. I really enjoyed having that fresh produce delivered every week. When I became to ill to cope with all the prep and cooking, I employed a friend to cook for us once a week, and we froze some of the results. Now she's retired (and we can't have helpers because of Covid now anyway), we're reduced to ready meals and mostly frozen veg that doesn't need prep. I try to include some fresh green veg in every supermarket order, but it's not the same.

 

[Wonko]

 

[Simbindi]

We had Riverford veg boxes for years. I really enjoyed having that fresh produce delivered every week. When I became to ill to cope with all the prep and cooking, I employed a friend to cook for us once a week, and we froze some of the results. Now she's retired (and we can't have helpers because of Covid now anyway), we're reduced to ready meals and mostly frozen veg that doesn't need prep. I try to include some fresh green veg in every supermarket order, but it's not the same.

Yes. They've leafleted in my area for years but I wasn't in 'a place' to order from them and wouldn't be able to afford to do so without my enhanced rate of PIP. I've been going for the 'fruit and veg' box, because there's less veg that needs preparing. I like things like baby spinach raw or in smoothies and enjoying just munching on a tasty raw carrot.

I like the way you can just cancel or change the chosen box for one week without affecting the rest of your order. I may have to do that occasionally in the future (I'll probably swap it for a fruit only box). But as I like milk then it's good to have that on a weekly order as it saves having to put in regular supermarket deliveries. Hoping they will have eggs available soon as then I'd only need one supermarket delivery a month.

I hope you can find a new person to cook for you and your daughter in the future, it definitely helps mood (and probably health) to eat well.

It's interesting that Riverfood has said on their newsletter that they've been inundated with British nationals wanting to pick for them this summer, which contrasts with what the news is saying about there being a massive shortfall of seasonal agricultural workers. This is a clear demonstration that if you remunerate employees well and create a good working environment then you don't have problems getting British people to work even in 'backbreaking' industries!

 

[Wonko]

Split from the Worldwide Spread thread

To those relying on priority supermarket delivery slots hand sanitizer is completely unavailable. It seems whatever is available, if any, is being cleared as soon as it hits the shelves by people who are able to get to shops.

I have been trying for over 10 weeks now and been unable to get any, which means that even if I was inclined, and allowed, to go out, that I can't, at least not if people wish me to follow the guidance.

Combined with the baking powder and eggs fiascos it should be interesting to see what people are making.

Possibly some weird form of souffle ?

 

[ladycatlover]

Hi @Wonko, we couldn't get hand sanitiser either, but OH is using surgical spirit when he goes out. He also uses it on our front door handle (into porch, left unlocked for deliveries) and door bell. And anything he feels needs swabbing down.

Carries it in a small plastic box with him, with a J-cloth in it too, to apply when necessary - even has to use it to get through the gate at the allotment.

I got it off amazon - some on offer are cheaper than others. May not be ideal, but at least it's a work around for us. Sending you some hugs as you sound worried - not without cause. Best wishes from Liverpool.

 

[Wonko]

Tonight i first found masks, the same ones as were 20 quid or more for ten, for 4 quid for 20.

So I then went looking for hand sanitizer, and found that it is broadly speaking, available. A lot is useless, being below 70 percent alcohol, but some is both useful and available.

So I have a single 100ml of 75 percent alcohol hand sanitizer, and I think 10 disposable masks coming from the UK, on Amazon, for under 9 quid inc delivery.

Once I've seen them then I may order more, but the reviews are so variable I'm not willing to ATM.

 

[lunarainbows]

Tonight i first found masks, the same ones as were 20 quid or more for ten, for 4 quid for 20.

So I then went looking for hand sanitizer, and found that it is broadly speaking, available. A lot is useless, being below 70 percent alcohol, but some is both useful and available.

So I have a single 100ml of 75 percent alcohol hand sanitizer, and I think 10 disposable masks coming from the UK, on Amazon, for under 9 quid inc delivery.

Once I've seen them then I may order more, but the reviews are so variable I'm not willing to ATM.

Are these the FFP2 and FFP3 masks you’re talking about?

 

[Wonko]

Are these the FFP2 and FFP3 masks you’re talking about?

No, just surgical, cosmetic, below dental grade.

Even with that I went for ones over double the price of the cheap ones as the cheap ones have a reputation for traveling around faces as they feel like.

FFP2 equivalent seem, and don't rely on this as it's not what I was looking for, and I just noticed in passing, seem to be around 20 quid for 10.

Prices seem to have returned to roughly were they were before this started.

Which suggests you'd probably be looking at 20 to 30 quid for a reasonable reusable FFP3 mask.

 

[Simbindi]

To those relying on priority supermarket delivery slots hand sanitizer is completely unavailable. It seems whatever is available, if any, is being cleared as soon as it hits the shelves by people who are able to get to shops.

Tesco used to do their own brand with aloe vera. It was about £2.50 for 300ml and I used to use this regularly before it became permanently unavailable in early March . It looks like they've stopped stocking it now! I've not been able to obtain affordable sanitizer throughout the period I've been self-isolating. The poorest people, including those needing to use public transport, are the least likely to be able to obtain this item, so again increasing their risk when forced to out and about.

 

[Mithriel]

A lot of tesco own brand products are not available, though some are coming back. I think factories are not reloading their machines for different packaging.

My husband (retired microbiologist) does the shopping. We have managed to get a hand sanitizer he uses when he gets in the car, but he also has a small plastic bag with a j cloth saturated with household disinfectant spray that he uses on the car handles, trolley and so on.

 

[Simbindi]

https://www.milkandmore.co.uk/ have allowed me to register and order now. I think it will be worth me getting some milk, juice, yogurt, cheese etc., from them at least once a week (becoming a regular customer with them) as I think it will be wise to prepare for a second wave and possible new difficulty with getting online supermarket orders again in future months.

Yesterday I also noticed that there were the normal fixed slots available for the last 3 days of the next 4 weeks for Tesco deliveries in my area, when previously you could only book the last day's fixed slots during 12 midnight to 6am and even the last day's priority slots went within 24 hours of being released.

Edit: There are also Tesco priority slots available some days this and next week.

 

[lunarainbows]

Has anyone else had a call from the council / govt/ someone about the Shielding group? They’ve called me about 3 times in the past few days and left a message.. I couldn’t understand the message as their voice kept cutting in and out. And they also sent a text saying they’ve left a message. I vaguely could hear something about food parcels and shielding, they talked for a while.

my mum picked up once & told them I wasn’t well enough to talk at that time but they insisted they had to talk to me - I couldn’t so they put the phone down and said they’d call back.

 

[Wonko]

Yes to calls from both but I may not be that helpful as in both cases my priority has been to end the call as soon as possible.

Shielding people - 'we've noticed you haven't been receiving your food parcels, would you like to?' - no idea what the normal script would be after that as I said if it had to be coordinated by phone then I couldn't and I was assured they wouldn't ring back. They said they got my number from 'the NHS' - who do not have my authority to give it to anyone, and the only NHS source would be my GP, who has been told, in writing, several times, that I am not able to use a phone. They have also been told, verbally, by my advocate. But still they feel free to give out my number to anyone who asks.

The shielding people have, as requested, not rung back.

Council - I got a phone call (on a number I had recently given the government for texts only) to ask what problems I was having in an attempt to decide if I should be referred to somewhere - I told him that I couldn;t use the phone and any communication should be via email. A week ro 3 later I got an email from the council covid coordinator saying that if I needed any help then I could call such and such a number. I replied to this email saying I couldn't use a phone so the numbers were not helpful. In reply I was told that they completely understood and if I couldn't use a phone then to use a supplied link to the local covid hub - which insists on a phone number before it will let me submit a request for help.

So pretty useless on all fronts - just as well I can't see any way that they could conceivably help me given their total lack of understanding of such a simple limitation (how, for example, are they dealing with deaf people who need help?)

it's almost as if they get confused by someone, that has answered a phone, saying that they can't use a phone - much like someone saying, in perfect english, that they don't understand or speak english I suppose.

 

[lunarainbows]

Yes to calls from both but I may not be that helpful as in both cases my priority has been to end the call as soon as possible.

Shielding people - 'we've noticed you haven't been receiving your food parcels, would you like to?' - no idea what the normal script would be after that as I said if it had to be coordinated by phone then I couldn't and I was assured they wouldn't ring back. They said they got my number from 'the NHS' - who do not have my authority to give it to anyone, and the only NHS source would be my GP, who has been told, in writing, several times, that I am not able to use a phone. They have also been told, verbally, by my advocate. But still they feel free to give out my number to anyone who asks.

The shielding people have, as requested, not rung back.

Council - I got a phone call (on a number I had recently given the government for texts only) to ask what problems I was having in an attempt to decide if I should be referred to somewhere - I told him that I couldn;t use the phone and any communication should be via email. A week ro 3 later I got an email from the council covid coordinator saying that if I needed any help then I could call such and such a number. I replied to this email saying I couldn't use a phone so the numbers were not helpful. In reply I was told that they completely understood and if I couldn't use a phone then to use a supplied link to the local covid hub - which insists on a phone number before it will let me submit a request for help.

So pretty useless on all fronts - just as well I can't see any way that they could conceivably help me given their total lack of understanding of such a simple limitation (how, for example, are they dealing with deaf people who need help?)

it's almost as if they get confused by someone, that has answered a phone, saying that they can't use a phone - much like someone saying, in perfect english, that they don't understand or speak english I suppose.

Re the shielding people - I think that’s who might have called me. Maybe. But I have been receiving food parcels. So why would they have called me - do they want to stop them?

And re government - what do they mean by refer? I wonder who they think they can refer you onto.

Yeah this not being able to take phone calls but everyone insisting on phone calls is getting really tiring and stressful. I think if there’s one thing maybe that our ME charities could advocate on, (as well as all the other stuff), it’s this.. it could have a huge impact on people living with ME, getting across the message to local authorities & health professionals that we need emails/text messages as phone calls make us ill.

 

[lunarainbows]

Oh also if anyone likes Leon (the restaurant), they are now doing ready meals, fruit and veg etc, says delivery to South east England, not sure if there are people here who live there

https://feedbritain.com/collections/leon-box-selection

edit I also saw a few other adverts for restaurants today who are delivering food. Forgot most of them but Cote brasserie was one of them (never had their food but looks v fancy).

 

[Simbindi]

I don't know if they've tried to call as I never answer my phone - my family members know that they need to email me.

However, the last government food parcel contained an additional letter informing me about, and encouraging me to use, the NHS volunteer scheme to get my shopping instead of continuing to receive the free food parcel. The main letter that comes each week with the parcel also had a paragraph suggesting the use of online supermarket shopping, again encouraging the recipient to use this method of obtaining food over continuing to receive the free government parcel.

So they seem to be wanting to run down the support scheme, presumably because providing the token weekly food parcel to about half a million vulnerable people is deemed to be costing them too much (the contents are probably worth less than £10 at wholesale prices).

 

[Wonko]

My local council has a covid support hub to coordinate both their services and that of volunteers. It used to be the case that they prefered people to be referred to them for help. I suspect that is still what goes on behind the website where you can, in theory, now self refer.

The only services they seem to offer are, a volunteer to help aquire food (presumably by you organising and paying for a supermarket click and collect order, and then them going and getting it), prescription/meds collection, or having someone ring you up for a 'chat'.

It is also likely that they could deliver a 3 day food box, I've seen them doing this to the neighbouring block, maybe this is something they do when they ring to clarify the nature of the assistance required.

 

[Simbindi]

The only services they seem to offer are, a volunteer to help aquire food (presumably by you organising and paying for a supermarket click and collect order, and then them going and getting it), prescription/meds collection, or having someone ring you up for a 'chat'.

Is it definitely a council volunteer doing this, because councils are able to refer vulnerable people to the NHS volunteer scheme?

I am just ignoring any correspondence from my council. I know when they state that they are able to 'offer help with (shopping, prescriptions, finances, care)' what they actually mean is that they will be able to 'signpost' how to get the support, or make a referral for an NHS volunteer. Regarding the finances, that would mean referring for debt advice or help with applying for benefits that may not have been claimed. Regarding the offer to get support with care and housekeeping needs, I am pretty sure this would just mean referring for a social care assessment - not immediate tangible, practical, useful support.

 

[lunarainbows]

On this topic,
Echo Pharmacy have been excellent with my prescription medication and very quick delivery.

I used to be with Pharmacy2u but after a few months of having half-empty steroid inhalers, and the local practice pharmacist saying they were dodgy, I decided to switch. Echo have been really good (Online pharmacy from Lloyd’s pharmacy).

 

[Wonko]

Is it definitely a council volunteer doing this, because councils are able to refer vulnerable people to the NHS volunteer scheme?

I am just ignoring any correspondence from my council. I know when they state that they are able to 'offer help with (shopping, prescriptions, finances, care)' what they actually mean is that they will be able to 'signpost' how to get the support, or make a referral for an NHS volunteer. Regarding the finances, that would mean referring for debt advice or help with applying for benefits that may not have been claimed. Regarding the offer to get support with care and housekeeping needs, I am pretty sure this would just mean referring for a social care assessment - not immediate tangible, practical, useful support.

No idea.

I was called from a private mobile registered to a defunct company offering non specific services, based in essex that went out of business 3 years ago. He did however seem reasonably legit, in the few minutes I was speaking to him, said he didn't need my email address when I said this was the only point of contact, and a few weeks later my council, who have never been given that email, contacted me using it.

So probably legit.

(All he was told when he asked what issues I was having with food was what was uppermost on my mind at the time, my aggravation with Sainsbury's twice having left my shopping in the street, despite their covid pages saying they would deliver to my flat door, and the total unacceptability of this.)

As to precisely what services are available, or from who, all I have is the first couple of pages of the councils covid hub ask for help site, I have not gone through the process as I will not give them a phone number and the form will not let me progress without doing so.