Those gov't food boxes?

basic food supplies shower gel and toilet roll (2) according to Scottish gov site I imagine other countries in uk will be same :Bread milk potatoes tinned meat fruit veg biscuits cereal soup baked beans coffee tea rice or noodles or cous cous tuna chopped tomatoes fresh fruit cooking sauce pasta coffee and tea bags

ALL of those? It sounds a lot - all for £20! (My hubby won't eat pasta or couscous so I'm out before we start) What a shame.

GrauntyHelen is exactly right on the contents.
We have had the food boxes for 4 weeks. I tried to stop them but was told I had to re-register on the Govt website as not needing help with food. I was most concerned that would undermine my priority status for supermarket delivery slots (I am shielding) and couldn’t manage without the supermarket slots.

We accept the food boxes and anything we can’t use (there’s lots of breakfast cereal for example and we don’t eat it), we save up and donate to the Food Bank. These donations have been gratefully received.

If there's a choice between not eating and going hungry or having one of those boxes, I'd choose...er, let me think
(cous cous, tho? ..OK, we live in challenging times,I'll give it a go,if I must..) Thanks a lot for the info.

Thanks Nortsat, I'm shielding too and don't like breakfast cereal either, but can't get a s'market slot, so one of those boxes it'll have to be.

It’s marvellous really ...There is certainly plenty to make meals with:
Bread and little mini cartons of margarine and jam.
Baked beans and Heinz soup.
Pasta and Dolmio sauce.
Uncle Bens Rice, tinned tuna and tinned meat.
A bag of potatoes and bag carrots.
Oranges and apples
Loo rolls and long life milk.
Digestive biscuits. Small quantities of teabags and instant coffee.
Hand wash, shower gel or surface cleaner.
The combinations vary slightly from week to week.

It may not be quite what you’re used to, but it’s decent quality and quite comprehensive. We’re really grateful.
Anything we don’t use, we donate ...

Good luck and stay safe ?

You too, Nortsat and thanks again for the info.

It must be different in Wales. I didn't have to register but had already had The Letter, but a nice young woman from the Council phoned me to ask if I was all right, did need a volunteer to fetch medication and would i like a food box.

I declined as we have managed to get grocery spots and our neighbours will bring us extras eg milk and eggs.. I said I'd rather it went to someone in need but didn't rule out the possibility if it's us in need week.

It sounds well thought out.

That was very badly written, apologies. I hope you get the gist!

The same thing happened to me in Scotland. Someone from the local council phoned to see if I needed a food box, as I hadn't signed up for one.
I decline, as I was managing to get delivery slots. However, I was advised to phone the dedicated helpline, if I changed my mind.
It seemed very well organised.

We were like you Marydoll and decided not to accept one but it's very good to know it's available for people in real need. It's free as far as I know.
We looked at the contents online and apart from the "tuna alternative" for vegetarians, it was great.

It is free, *Grammaretto.

Free? Golly!

My very well off friends have now received three.
The H has complex health issues and the first box just arrived unasked for and not needed.
They have now managed to cancel but it seemed not to be easy.
They passed the boxes on to family members struggling through early dementia and have now alerted close family to the situation.
I think a phone call to ask if the box is needed should be made otherwise money is wasted.

It seems to be a massive undertaking and covers most basics quite well. Most of those who don’t actually need them seem to be donating them onwards so at least there’s not too much waste.

I didn’t realize they were free. Good to think people are being looked after. I think my dad would have been shocked at the thought of taking what he would consider charity but much better than going hungry.

yes, these are the free one, ExD; i think you may be thinking of some supermarkets were doing £30 boxes to get things out quickly to people who were going short. no choice, just veggie or standard.
no choice with the govt ones as far as i know, maybe a veggie.

I know people who are getting free food. They are pensioners with a guaranteed income. I think it would be better to make sure they have delivery slots.
The money could be better spent. There are people whose income has dropped because of the virus. They are the ones who need help.
I get the point though that one person made about why she accepted - in case she lost her vulnerable status.

From the Scottish Govt website:

Through the SMS Shielding Service or your local authority helpline, you can order free weekly boxes of basic food and essential supplies. Brakes & Bidfood have been contracted by the Scottish Government to provide these boxes. The box will contain a letter from the Scottish Government. These will include:

ProductQuantity
Coffee1x50g
Tea bags40 bags
Biscuits1x300g
Bread1x800g
Cereal1x500g
Baked Beans2x415g
Soups4x400g
Pasta1x500g
Rice / Cous Cous/ Noodles1 x 500g
Fruit 11x5 count
Fruit 21x5 count
Shower Gel1xunit
Semi-skimmed UHT MILK.2x1ltr
Cooking Sauce - jar1x350g
Pre potato (whole, washed)1x2kg
Tinned Meat1x340g
Tuna1x145g
Vegetables (peas probably)2x300g
Chopped tomatoes2x400g
Tinned fruit1x410g
Toilet roll

You do not lose your vulnerable status, if you decline a box, that is based on clinical criteria.

Crikey! Is there a vegan version? I'm allergic to half those things!

There is a vegetarian version. Not sure if it's vegan. Google it to see.

Hace you had a shielding letter from the CMO, Hetty58?

If so, you must let them know you are vegan and they will give you an appropriate box of vegan food if you need one.

Annesixty, we did get a phone callto ask if we needed it,seems different areas have different methods. Spoke to someone who didn’t like the biscuits in their box! Seeing it’s free people can be so ungrateful ?

I am not shielding nor on the vulnerable list - just "Elderly". Nonetheless, I have now received, for the past two weeks, a bag of random food, donated by local shops and farms. Our local Councillor and Community Council have undertaken the organisation and delivery. The first week was mainly fruit (2 each of bananas, oranges and apples) and veg with macaroni, lentils and a stock cube. I made a giant pot of soup, supped some and froze some. Both weeks we have had 6x free range eggs from a local farm and this week less fruit veg but a large loaf, breakfast bars, biscuits, tinned soup and beans were included. I feel a bit odd accepting these deliveries, but my DDs have pointed out that if this crisis had arisen a few years back, then it would have been me organising the deliveries (I was convener of the CC) and how nice it is that the next generation have stepped up to the mark.