Vulnerable customers complain they still can’t book supermarket delivery slots
PEOPLE classed as “vulnerable” by the government are still struggling to get supermarket home delivery slots for essential groceries, despite being promised that they would be front of the queue.
Shoppers have taken to social media to express their frustration - with some suggesting they might have to risk going to their local shops anyway.
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Many said they had been classed as vulnerable by the government, and had received a letter which should allow them to access services during the coronavirus crisis.
Some had even been contacted by supermarkets to say they qualified for help.
But despite this, they said they had still not been able to book a delivery slot.
Novelist Matt Haig said he had had trouble organising food delivery for a vulnerable family member.
“My vulnerable mother-in-law with a severe lung condition is on the priority list for @sainsburys. And yet there are no slots for three weeks. Anyone else had this issue?” he tweeted.
Another Twitter user replied: “I too am on the vulnerable list & got an email to say I could get priority slot. Went to log in and password expired! They say to ring to update, tried ringing - busy taking calls, call back. I tried Morrisons - waited 40 mins in queue then no slots.”
Supermarkets have been encouraging people who are well and not vulnerable to continue to travel to their local supermarket in order to reduce pressure on online delivery services.
Most supermarkets have now limited online shopping to customers most in need, such as older people or those with health conditions.
However, even where the supermarket itself confirms a person is vulnerable, people are still unable to receive groceries.
One Twitter user tweeted Morrisons itself saying: “Received an email yesterday confirming I am on your database of vulnerable customers. Have now had to queue twice and both times been thrown out to the back of the queue. I was told I would bypass this stage. How am I supposed to place an order?”
Another wrote: “Can you help please, I have had an email from yourselves saying because I am on the vulnerable list I don’t have to queue on the website. This isn’t the case as I’m still queuing.”
One person tweeted Asda saying: “My mum is 80 and high risk with copd. We cannot shop for her as we are isolating due to husband health. I cannot get a delivery for her at all. How do you identify the vulnerable in Scotland.”
Tesco customers have also complained about the problem.
One user tweeted at the supermarket: “I’m trying access delivery slots as I am shielding for 12 weeks following the government letter I received. Already signed up to the gov vulnerable site. Tried calling can’t get through. Can you please let me know how I get priority slots?”
Supermarkets now have a list of vulnerable people provided by the government and are checking it against their own information in order to contact people directly.
Dave Lewis, chief executive of Tesco, said: “On Thursday, we were given an initial list of 110,000 clinically and socially isolated people by the government.
“From these, we were able to match 75,000 existing customers and we’ve already contacted them to let them know we’re making home delivery slots immediately available to them.
“As we receive more data from the government, we’ll make even more slots available.”
He added that the supermarket has increased its online delivery slots by 145,000 in the last two weeks with “hundreds of thousands more” due to become available shortly.
“We know it’s still difficult to get an online delivery slot at the moment due to high demand, and we ask those who are able to safely come to stores to do so, instead of shopping online, so we can start to free up more slots for the more vulnerable,” he added.
What are supermarkets doing to help vulnerable people?
Tesco
If you are a vulnerable person, you will be able to book a priority slot and select an eight hour window for delivery from today, Monday, April 6.
Customers who do not currently have a Tesco account and have a letter from the NHS can either create an account online or call the supermarket on 0800 917 7359.
Sainsbury’s
Once you are told you qualify for priority delivery, you can call the Sainsbury's customer care line on 0800 636262, although the supermarket has warned it is very busy and you might need to try a couple of times.
When you get through to a member of staff, they will help you arrange a delivery slot.
Asda
Vulnerable Asda customers will receive a link to take them to the Asda site, where they will be able to access a recurring delivery slot.
They will also be able to access slots a week further in advance of everyone else if they don’t want a recurring slot.
These customers will also benefit from free delivery and no minimum spend when they place their order.
Morrisons
Morrisons is working to make more delivery slots available, and is adding a fast track to its queue system so that vulnerable customers can be prioritised.
Customers who are classed vulnerable by the government will already have received communications from the supermarket, it said.
A spokesperson from Sainsbury's also confirmed that it was working its way through the government list to try and identify the most vulnerable people.
Its home delivery option has only been open to older or vulnerable people for a number of days already, the supermarket added.
A spokesperson said: “We know there’s still work to do, and we’ve recognised the need for the government to help us prioritise the most vulnerable.
“That’s why going forward, they will identify customers who they consider the most vulnerable, and we’ll give those people priority access to home delivery slots.”
Asda likewise said it was making good progress with reaching out to vulnerable people on the government's list.
Those who it finds will be offered a regular delivery slot, it said.
We have also contacted Morrisons for comment and will update this story when we know more.
How do you let the government know that you are vulnerable?
If you have a medical condition which makes you extremely vulnerable to coronavirus (COVID-19), you can register with the government and tell it whether or not you need support.
You can use .
You may have received a letter from the NHS telling you that you’re , or have been contacted by your GP or hospital clinician.
If this has not happened, contact your GP or clinician after you register with the government service.
The government warns that "it may take time for any support offered through this service to arrive".
"Wherever possible you should continue to rely on friends, family and wider support to help you meet your needs," it says.
You can register yourself, or on behalf of someone else.
On Monday, charity Blood Cancer UK said it had written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and to the six largest supermarkets calling on them to take “urgent action” to make sure people with blood cancer can get food deliveries.
It said a number of people had contacted them in recent days, including a man who made more than 200 calls without getting a delivery slot, and a woman who was told that she couldn’t be prioritised because it was her five-year-old daughter rather than her that had blood cancer.
Helen Payne, a former NHS physio from Wokingham, who has leukaemia, contacted the charity after struggling to order food.
She said: “I am on chemotherapy and have had my NHS letter but it’s absolutely impossible to get any food. I am seriously thinking of going shopping myself.
“Last night for supper I had two fish fingers, some frozen onion rings and half a can of rice pudding. God knows what I have left for tonight!”
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