The National Shielding Service

Tollesbury Volunteers would like to pass on this information from Essex County Council Trading Standards that we received on Tuesday 14th April.

You may potentially receive a call from the National Shielding Service Helpline on:

0333 3050466 – this is NOT a scam.

However, the phone line is not live and you may receive a message saying they will try again soon.

When they call back, the caller may ask for some details such as your name and NHS number to confirm they are speaking to someone who is deemed as vulnerable, but they will never ask you for details such as your National Insurance Number or bank details.

There are concerns that this service has not been widely publicised and therefore people are leaving reviews on trust sites saying that this is a scam due to the caller asking whether the person is vulnerable or not. It is important that this misinformation is not spread as it could lead to vulnerable individuals missing out on essential support.

If you are considered at a higher clinical risk from Covid-19 then you should also have received a letter. Just for complete clarification this FAQ document from the NHS does give a little more information about who is included in the ‘vulnerable’ group and Q7 talks specifically about the telephone number and who should receive a call. NHS England FAQ’s

Of course there are lots of current scams out there and If you have concerns about a Covid-19 related scam then you can report this via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 2231133 or online