4 ms·

Does the UK government really leave this to private institutions and their "partner charities"? In the Netherlands the government will just give you a PO box if

by Tarq0n 4y ago

Does the UK government really leave this to private institutions and their "partner charities"? In the Netherlands the government will just give you a PO box if you're homeless.

DaiPlusPlus 4y ago
Good idea. Given that in many (most?) countries the post/mail system is a part of the state apparatus I think it's only right that every citizen automatically be given a P.O. box address as an enumerated positive right.
unreal37 4y ago
I keep hearing "In the Netherlands" as a reply to any social dilemma. Surely, not everything is paradise in the Netherlands...
- PeterisP 4y ago
  Of course, Netherlands sucks in many aspects, so (tongue in cheek) if even a place like Netherlands has a working solution for some problem, then it can't be that high bar to pass for any proper country, can it?
DoreenMichele 4y ago
In the US, a PO Box is not a valid address for some things. I believe this includes voting and banking. This is an issue for some Native Americans who have a PO Box as their only address on the reservation and have difficulty exercising their right to vote because of it.
Beltalowda 4y ago
It's not necessarily that easy; the city refused to give me anything as I wasn't "properly homeless". I wasn't allowed to use a forwarding address ("briefadres"). But I also didn't have a fixed address or bank account and people were unwilling to rent to me because of that. It took me a long time to get things sorted; everyone basically just shrugged. Things were actually easier when I moved to the UK a few years ago. If you don't have a registration in The Netherlands you really can't do anything, and if the municipality doesn't want to give you one you're screwed. In the UK at least things are ways around things (which are strictly speaking not necessarily legal, such as forging a utility bill, but needs must...)

4 ms·

Does the UK government really leave this to private institutions and their "partner charities"? In the Netherlands the government will just give you a PO box if

by Tarq0n 4y ago

Does the UK government really leave this to private institutions and their "partner charities"? In the Netherlands the government will just give you a PO box if you're homeless.

DaiPlusPlus 4y ago
Good idea. Given that in many (most?) countries the post/mail system is a part of the state apparatus I think it's only right that every citizen automatically be given a P.O. box address as an enumerated positive right.
unreal37 4y ago
I keep hearing "In the Netherlands" as a reply to any social dilemma. Surely, not everything is paradise in the Netherlands...
- PeterisP 4y ago
  Of course, Netherlands sucks in many aspects, so (tongue in cheek) if even a place like Netherlands has a working solution for some problem, then it can't be that high bar to pass for any proper country, can it?
DoreenMichele 4y ago
In the US, a PO Box is not a valid address for some things. I believe this includes voting and banking. This is an issue for some Native Americans who have a PO Box as their only address on the reservation and have difficulty exercising their right to vote because of it.
Beltalowda 4y ago
It's not necessarily that easy; the city refused to give me anything as I wasn't "properly homeless". I wasn't allowed to use a forwarding address ("briefadres"). But I also didn't have a fixed address or bank account and people were unwilling to rent to me because of that. It took me a long time to get things sorted; everyone basically just shrugged. Things were actually easier when I moved to the UK a few years ago. If you don't have a registration in The Netherlands you really can't do anything, and if the municipality doesn't want to give you one you're screwed. In the UK at least things are ways around things (which are strictly speaking not necessarily legal, such as forging a utility bill, but needs must...)