Food and essentials during coronavirus
Supermarkets and community groups are working together to make sure everyone can get the supplies they need. We’ll try to keep this information up to date, but check with specific supermarkets and online stores for the most recent updates.
Contact your local authority for support
Contact your local authority if you are having problems getting food.
Warning If you cannot get local authority support or supermarket deliveries
If you are disabled but not considered extremely vulnerable to coronavirus, there are other ways to get essentials like:
- local volunteer groups
- online stores
- local veg box schemes or wholesale suppliers
- ready meal delivery services
If you are having trouble getting supermarket delivery slots, contact our helpline.
Local groups and volunteers can help you get food and essentials
Some local groups have volunteers to get essentials for people who cannot go to shops or get deliveries.
If you’re struggling to get deliveries, contact your local support group. A volunteer should contact you to arrange:
- what shopping or prescriptions you need picking up
- how to pay for your shopping
- when they can drop your shopping to your door (they will not come inside your home)
Supermarkets
Many supermarkets have changed what they offer disabled customers. This includes things like:
- opening hours with dedicated times and days for certain shoppers
- priority delivery slots
- making sure you can shop safely
Check each supermarket to find out how they’re allocating deliveries. You will need to register for online shopping on their website.
If you’re struggling to get deliveries from your supermarket, you could try phoning your local corner shop to see if they will deliver.
Warning Face masks
Some shops may require customers to wear non-medical face masks to protect others. But there are exemptions if you cannot wear a mask. These include if:
you cannot put on, wear or remove a mask because you are disabled, have a medical condition or mental health condition
your condition means that putting on, wearing or removing a face covering would cause you severe distress
you are travelling with or assisting someone who relies on lip-reading to communicate
If you need to eat, drink or take medication, you can remove your face mask to do this.
People who do not have to wear a face mask (GOV.UK)
You do not need to prove you cannot wear a mask. If you’re worried about what other people might say or do, you can use ‘exemption cards’ to explain that you or your child cannot wear a mask. You can have it on your phone or print it.
Sunflower lanyards
Many supermarkets are not asking for proof but you may need to explain that you have a health condition or are disabled. If you’re worried about getting access, you could try taking disability benefit or blue badge paperwork with you.
You could also try getting a sunflower lanyard. This tells others that you have an invisible condition or impairment. You can get them free at supermarkets, including Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tesco and Morrisons.
Warning Check your local supermarket website
Check your local supermarket website for updated information on changes to the services and the support they can give you.
Asda
Asda offers home delivery, food boxes, and the Asda Volunteer Shopping Card. This provides a contactless and secure way for others to shop for you if you cannot get a delivery.
Volunteer Shopping Card (Asda)
Tesco
To ask about priority shopping slots, call free on 0800 917 7359.
Order your Volunteer e–Gift Card (Tesco)
Find Tesco Access Guides on AccessAble
Morrisons
Morrisons offer gift cards to make it easier for volunteers to buy shopping for you.
Morrisons gift cards for volunteers
Aldi
You can order essentials with Deliveroo.
Order Aldi essentials from Deliveroo
M&S and Ocado
You can arrange home deliveries through Ocado.
M&S and Ocado delivery information
Buy e-gift cards for volunteers (M&S)
Sainsbury's
Call the NHS Volunteer Responders programme 0808 196 3646 if you need help getting groceries.
Volunteer Shopping Card enables people to shop for you in store.
Get 20 items in 60 minutes using the Chop Chop app
Co-op
You can call 0800 029 4592 to order a Community Shopping Card for shopping volunteers.
Order a quick shop delivery (Co-op)
Iceland
Iceland offers weekly delivery slots for priority customers. There is also a same day delivery service in some areas.
Online stores
Online stores like Amazon or eBay offer food and essentials if you cannot get them delivered from the supermarket. Check the quantities and delivery dates first as there may be delays.
AmazonFresh is available for Prime members to order fresh food and essentials from local shops and supermarkets. You can also find other food items, such as tea or canned goods through the main website if you’re not a Prime member.
Milk & More offers a local delivery service where you can buy milk and other grocery items.
Register your interest as a new customer for Milk & More deliveries
Local veg box schemes or wholesale suppliers
Check if there is a food box delivery scheme in your area. Some food wholesale suppliers offer home deliveries to help people get essentials. Just make sure you check the quantities of products if you’re buying from a wholesale supplier.
Search for wholesale suppliers or food box schemes:
Meal delivery services
If you are eligible, your council or other local organisations may provide meals delivered to your home.
Get meals at home (meals on wheels) (GOV.UK)
There are also some companies that offer meal deliveries:
Wiltshire Farm Foods
Wiltshire Farm Foods offers frozen ready meals for people on the 'extremely vulnerable' list. You can call them using their ‘priority number’ to place an order.
Deliveries to extremely clinically vulnerable customers
Cook
Cook delivers frozen ready meals.
Parsley Box
Parsley Box delivers ready meals you can store in a cupboard.
Vibrant Vegan Co.
Vegan ready meals delivered to your door.
HelloFresh
HelloFresh deliver ingredients for you to cook set meals you’ve chosen from their menu.
Food banks
Food banks are community organisations that support people who cannot afford the essentials. Search online for your local food bank or find a food bank on the Trussell Trust website.
Warning Do not use food banks if you can afford food
If you can afford food but are unable to get it, do not go to a food bank. Contact your local authority for support instead.
Last reviewed by Scope on: 22/07/2021
Was this page helpful?
Great!
Tell us how it helpedWe're sorry to hear that.
Tell us how we can improve it