Those deemed by the UK Government ‘particularly vulnerable’ are struggling to book online supermarket delivery slots, despite being promised they are a priority.
Numerous shoppers have taken to social media to complain about not being able to easily book home delivery slots with various major supermarkets amid the coronavirus pandemic.
This, despite receiving an official letter from the Government guaranteeing them access to the online delivery service, and after being classed as vulnerable.
In frustration, many took to Twitter to vent their concerns.
This Twitter user said they were told they are in Morrisons’ database but could not place an order
One Twitter user calling out Morrisons wrote: ‘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, again targeting Morrisons, also took to Twitter, writing: ‘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.’
Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a public statement on 22 March outlining ‘special steps to protect the particularly vulnerable’.
The PM told some 1.5 million people deemed most at risk to isolate for 12 weeks and encouraged them, including the elderly, to stay at home while the Government rolled out a food parcel delivery scheme.
This Twitter user @MPlucknett claimed to be held in an online queue with Morrisons on 6 April
Days later on 10 April @MPlucknett claimed they had been forced to queue up at Sainsbury’s despite showing their Government letter
The same person also called out Sainsbury’s just days later complaining they had been made to queue up despite showing their Government-issued vulnerable letter, and an ID.
‘Went to your store in Witney at 7:50am with my vulnerable letter and ID and was told I had to wait in the normal line which stretched back as far as the eye can see, no point getting these letters,’ they wrote.
One Twitter user, whose 80-year-old mother has a chronic inflammatory lung disease, took to social media to tell Asda they were staying at home and could not get an online delivery slot with the supermarket.
‘My mum is 80 and high risk with copd (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). 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,’ they wrote.
@Nickyanddan struggling to get an online slot via Asda. Their 80-year-old mother is chronically ill
Author Matt Haig was also critical of Sainsbury’s on Twitter, saying his ‘vulnerable’ mother-in-law who suffers with respiratory problems could not book a slot for three weeks.
‘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 wrote.
His tweet was answered by someone who wrote: ‘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, tired ringing – busy taking calls call back.
‘I tried Morrisons – waited 40 mins in queue then no slots.’
Author Matt Haig’s Twitter exchange with @suzisnowflake10 who was struggling with online bookings
Many major UK supermarkets have been asking people who are well enough and not vulnerable to travel to the physical shop to relieve pressure on online bookings.
Many shops have also limited those who can use the online service to the elderly and people with health conditions.
Supermarkets have a list of people deemed most vulnerable and therefore eligible for priority delivery slots from the Government. Those names are checked against their own information to ensure the right people are notified.
Despite these measures people are still struggling to receive groceries, according to a report in The Sun.
Shoppers queuing using social distancing measures outside an Asda shop in Gateshead
Asda also said it was working through the Government’s list of vulnerable people and those it identifies will be ‘offered a regular delivery slot’, according to The Sun
Dave Lewis, chief executive of Tesco, said: ‘On Thursday (April 2), 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 Tesco had increased online delivery slots by 145,000 in the past 14 days and that ‘hundreds of thousands more’ were due shortly.
Mr Lewis acknowledged it is ‘difficult’ to book an online delivery slot due to ‘high demand’, asking ‘those who are able to safely come to stores to do so’.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson told The Sun it too was working through the Government’s vulnerable list, adding: ‘We know there’s still work to do’.
The supermarket told The Sun it ‘recognised the need for the Government to help’ it prioritise those who are vulnerable.
Adding: ‘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 also said it was working through the Government’s list of vulnerable people and those it identifies will be ‘offered a regular delivery slot’, according to The Sun.
Morrisons has yet to comment on The Sun’s story, it said.