Last Friday, our national policy team published a new report and blog on why we’re continuing to push for a solution to post exclusion.
For millions of people, their living situation leaves them excluded from accessing post. This disproportionately impacts people who are homeless, people experiencing domestic abuse and people from a Gypsy, Roma or Traveller community. Our local offices regularly see people with problems that have arisen or gotten worse because they can’t access this essential service.
The UK is actually far behind other countries, like Australia and Ireland, in terms of addressing this issue. And since 2018, Citizens Advice has worked with industry, regulators, charities and people with lived experience to develop a solution. We’re calling this ‘Address & Collect’ – a free service where people could opt to collect their post at a post office.
Because of cost of living pressures, this sort of service is needed now more than ever. Letters enable access to income and help us manage financial affairs – they can be a lifeline, and people losing access during periods of housing insecurity can then face greater barriers to getting help and support at the moment they most need it.