If you've tried to book an online delivery slot from the likes of Asda, Tesco, Morrisons or Sainsbury's during lockdown, you'll know it can be a lengthy and often difficult process.
Many people have struggled to get themselves a slot, leaving the most vulnerable and those unable to leave their homes feeling sometimes helpless.
However, it has now been confirmed that supermarket delivery slots will increase to almost three million within the next fortnight, the Government has said, amid concerns people who are shielding are being “fobbed off”.
MP David Johnston told the Commons: "Supermarkets have clearly got a big job on their hands but my constituents who are shielding in Wantage and Didcot are finding their approach inconsistent.
"Some of them are very responsive with dedicated telephone lines and email addresses that get people’s issues resolved quickly, others are fobbed off with lines that are never answered and FAQs instead of a tailored response that helps them solve their problem.
"Can (Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick) assure me in his work with Defra he’ll push the supermarkets to be consistent in their approach and get the shielded the online delivery slots they really need?”
Mr Jenrick said supermarkets are working “very hard” to increase capacity, adding: "I understand at the beginning of the crisis there were typically 2.1 million delivery slots in the entire supermarket sector, that’s already increased to 2.6 million and within a couple of weeks we’re told by the supermarkets that will be close to three million.
"The more capacity they can increase, the easier it will be to broaden out those privilege slots to more members of the public who deserve them."
