I feel your pain OP, I’m currently in the same situation. I have various health problems which means I can’t travel so I don’t have a passport, but there have been so many occasions recently where I’ve been unable to do basic things like open a bank account, register with NHS online, access my pension details – all because I don’t have photo ID, i.e. a passport or driving licence. I have plenty of other ID, just nothing with my photo on. I don’t drive (and my health problems would prevent me from doing so), so a passport is my only option.
I’ve been almost housebound for 20 years, so all my ‘friends’ have gradually disappeared. Of the few neighbours I know, none of them works in any of the recognised professions who are allowed to countersign passport applications.
Of the people I occasionally have dealings with who ARE on the list of approved professions such as doctors, dentists, opticians, solicitors, local business owners, I only know them ‘professionally’ (I’ve used their services occasionally). A countersignatory is supposed to have known you as a friend, neighbour or colleague for at least 2 years, so technically they wouldn’t be allowed to countersign for me. Even if I asked, it would be a bit embarrassing having to ask someone I don’t really know for a favour, especially when they’re probably going to say no because I’d basically be asking them to lie to the government for me! I’ve also heard quite a few parents saying they had trouble getting their kids’ passports countersigned, because a lot of schools don’t allow their teaching staff to sign passport applications, unless they know the child/parent socially, outside of school.
One of the options on the list of approved countersignatories is ‘local government officer’. I looked up the definition of that, and it means anyone who works for and is paid by the local council, so they don’t necessarily need to be a ‘qualified professional’, they could be someone like a bin man, cleaner or library assistant. My husband works for the local council, but he can’t sign for me because we’re related by marriage. One of his colleagues knows me very slightly (I’ve said hello to her in the supermarket a couple of times!) but she can’t sign for me as she doesn’t have a passport of her own. So the only way we can think of for me to get a passport is if he asks someone at work who I’ve never met to sign for me - which is against the rules, but I don’t see that I have any other option.
It is ridiculous that people have to go through all this palaver to verify their ID (not to mention the expense, as a passport costs nearly £90) just to be able to access basic services. I hope you get yours sorted soon, OP!