× Search rightsnet
Search options

Where

Benefit

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

From

to

Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Work capability issues and ESA  →  Thread

No Fixed Abode

Dan_Manville
forum member

Mental health & welfare rights service - Wolverhampton City Council

Send message

Total Posts: 2262

Joined: 15 October 2012

Hi hobnobs

What mechanisms are in place for someone to maintain an ESA claim if they’ve no means of receiving correspondence?

1964
forum member

Deputy Manager, Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit

Send message

Total Posts: 1711

Joined: 16 June 2010

Is there a church group or similar in your area (as there is in ours) who provide c/o address facilities?

BC Welfare Rights
forum member

The Brunswick Centre, Kirklees & Calderdale

Send message

Total Posts: 1366

Joined: 22 July 2013

We’ve used our office as a c/o address in the past without a problem

Dan_Manville
forum member

Mental health & welfare rights service - Wolverhampton City Council

Send message

Total Posts: 2262

Joined: 15 October 2012

For the purposes of this conversation let’s assume there is no facility available to receive correspondence… I don’t really want to say much more.

1964
forum member

Deputy Manager, Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit

Send message

Total Posts: 1711

Joined: 16 June 2010

Have to say it’s not a scenario I’ve ever encountered in all the years I’ve been doing this. There’s generally a friend or relative prepared to be used as a C/O address and/or local organisations who offer similar. The nearest I can recall was a client who lived itinerantly on a narrow boat (travelling around the country) but he was able to use a relative’s address (albeit he only collected his post a couple of times per year which led to some complications).

I suppose, depending on the circs, there might be a duty of care on the LA/Social Services to facilitate things in that department but I’m really not sure.

Dan_Manville
forum member

Mental health & welfare rights service - Wolverhampton City Council

Send message

Total Posts: 2262

Joined: 15 October 2012

1964 - 16 November 2016 01:20 PM

Have to say it’s not a scenario I’ve ever encountered in all the years I’ve been doing this. There’s generally a friend or relative prepared to be used as a C/O address and/or local organisations who offer similar. The nearest I can recall was a client who lived itinerantly on a narrow boat (travelling around the country) but he was able to use a relative’s address (albeit he only collected his post a couple of times per year which led to some complications).

I suppose, depending on the circs, there might be a duty of care on the LA/Social Services to facilitate things in that department but I’m really not sure.

My problem with appointeeship is it may well feed a delusional fixation. I am hoping to discuss it with my gaffer soon.

Said fixation has already burned bridges with the usual c/o facility for homeless people here in town.

Thanks Andy

Mairi
forum member

Welfare rights officer - Dunedin Canmore Housing Association

Send message

Total Posts: 271

Joined: 25 June 2010

You could check if there’s a facility to collect post from a Post Office (Poste Restante).  It’s intended for people who are temporarily without an address (on holiday or the like) but doesn’t involve any organisation taking on an appointee type role

From postoffice.com -

Poste Restante
Pick up your post whilst in the UK
Imagine being able to pick up your post when you’re travelling around the UK or abroad. Well now you can – thanks to Poste Restante.
How Poste Restante works
Choose a Post Office branch to collect your mail from. This can be almost anywhere in the UK and in most larger towns abroad. Check if there’s Post Restante where you’re going opens in new window.
Any mail posted in the UK is kept for you in your chosen Post Office for up to two weeks. Anything posted from overseas is kept for one month.

How to set up Poste Restante
1. Go into the branch
If you’re resident in the UK or already travelling in the UK, just pop into the branch you’d like your post sent to. (Please note that the service may not be available everywhere).
If you’re not yet in the UK and are intending to travel to the UK, contact the Post Office branch you would like to use to check if they provide the Poste Restante Service.

You can also find the address details for Post Office branches in our Branch Finder.

2. Share the address
Let your friends, family and business contacts know the Post Office address you’ll be picking up your mail from. This is how it should be written:

Your name
POST RESTANTE
Post Office name
Full address of the Post Office
Postcode of the Post Office
Country (if applicable)

Your Poste Restante address will be active straight away.

Don’t forget to ask them to include a return address on the back of the envelope.

3. Pick up your post

Just go to your designated Post Office branch to pick up your post.

If you’re visiting the UK from abroad, bring your passport as a form of identification.

If you live in the UK, you’ll also need to show proof of your address as well as your passport.

Choose a Post Office branch to collect your mail from. This can be almost anywhere in the UK and in most larger towns abroad. Check if there’s Post Restante where you’re going opens in new window.
Any mail posted in the UK is kept for you in your chosen Post Office for up to two weeks. Anything posted from overseas is kept for one month.
Small print
The Poste Restante service is operated at the discretion of the Royal Mail/Post Office Limited.

If we suspect the Poste Restante service is being abused, we’ll withdraw the service immediately without notice. After this, we’ll return any items we receive to the sender.
Where are you off to? Collect your mail from the local Post Office

FIND A BRANCH
You might be interested in
Redirection
Useful information for regular senders
How to address mail
Lost & damaged items
image: http://www.postoffice.co.uk/dam/jcr:ef9b425e-3bb8-4bed-9e5b-05c9b28695be/IMG_FSSB_shop-small-parcel-boxes-MPU.jpg


Read more at http://www.postoffice.co.uk/mail/poste-restante#KIDyvMzFjOIk2Twi.99

Dan_Manville
forum member

Mental health & welfare rights service - Wolverhampton City Council

Send message

Total Posts: 2262

Joined: 15 October 2012

If you live in the UK, you’ll also need to show proof of your address as well as your passport.

Therein lies the nub…

Not all post offices offer a post restante service.

Edit; and they’re getting fewer and fewer; the new regime doesn’t like it apparently. It troubles a lot of the itinerant boaters I assist on my own time.

[ Edited: 18 Nov 2016 at 11:14 am by Dan_Manville ]