How does a homeless person with no ID get identified?

Posted by ClockworkSkyy@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 9 comments

I was chatting with a guy in Scotland about a guy who lived in a cabin. On paper he was homeless. Whether true or not it got me thinking: If this guy was picked up by the authorities what would happen? Say a homeless person has no ID and doesn't want one? What would happen to that person? Can you be homeless without ID in the UK? What would happen to you? How would you get by? Providing you're UK born although as I type this that doesn't matter I guess.

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9 Comments

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pinksparklebird@reddit

Well, say you died with no ID. I guess it would take longer for the police etc to find out who you were, but unless you've lived off grid literally since birth, I'd imagine you'd have dental records somewhere, or possibly fingerprints. They could also analyse your DNA from your hair, and potentially trace your relatives from it via sites like 23andme. Even if all they found was your skeleton, they could create a facial reconstruction from it and circulate it to the public to seek someone who knew you or who recognised you. So while it's possible they might never be able to trace you, I think it's unlikely.

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ClockworkSkyy@reddit (OP)

That's assuming they've died. I'm talking about if they're alive. How are homeless people identified when they don't want to be? (Say they refuse dna testing etc) Say a homeless person is pull aside and questioned for whatever reason and they have no ID and can't produce it. What would happen then? Are you let go having no ID? How do you get by in a world where you need ID for everything?

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tobotic@reddit

How does them being homeless factor into it? I have a home. If I'm pulled aside and questioned for whatever reason and I have no id and can't produce it, what would happen then? Am I let go having no id?

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ClockworkSkyy@reddit (OP)

I'm mean specifically a homeless person how physically has no means of ID at all, not refusing to give it but refuses things like dna testing etc. What would happen to that homeless person? I suppose my question should be: can you live in the UK without any form of ID? Without anything at all

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pinksparklebird@reddit

I guess you just live hand to mouth and only use cash as much as possible. If you don't have a residence, you won't have to deal with household bills, council tax etc. You don't need a drivers licence if you just live off the land, and you might only need a very basic bank account (assuming you don't just keep your cash in a big pile under the floorboards). If you live off the land you might not even need to claim benefits. I'd guess it's pretty impossible to have zero digital footprint, but it's definitely possible to keep it to the absolute bare minimum if you want to. This thread covers what happens if the police can't ID you. [https://www.reddit.com/r/policeuk/comments/162jzzy/what\_happens\_if\_someone\_refuses\_to\_identify/](https://www.reddit.com/r/policeuk/comments/162jzzy/what_happens_if_someone_refuses_to_identify/)

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ClockworkSkyy@reddit (OP)

Ah thank you. Good read. So, given the links info this perfumes someone has been arrested and charged etc. What if you've done nothing wrong? Say you get pulled aside just as a routine stop with no suspension? Say you're all good to go and you physically have no way of identifying yourself? Nor want to be? Can you just roam about living hand to mouth? Getting each meal as it comes? Working that odd job to cover let's say a phone bill?

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pinksparklebird@reddit

That's covered halfway through the responses in the link I posted above: \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ What would happen if they're not charged? Situation: subject detained and refuses details so necessity. Custody authorised and investigation gets done resulting in NFA. Just release without ever knowing their name? Upvote3DownvoteReply replyShareShare[GrumpyPhilosopher7](/user/GrumpyPhilosopher7/)•[8mo ago](/r/policeuk/comments/162jzzy/comment/jxxu9r5/) Defective Sergeant (verified) I believe in those circumstances you could charge with obstruction of a constable. We need accurate records of who we've arrested, do we not? Upvote12DownvoteReply replyShareShare[KipperHaddock](/user/KipperHaddock/)•[8mo ago](/r/policeuk/comments/162jzzy/comment/jxz0pwe/)•Edited 8mo ago Police Officer (verified) I think this is a very interesting question. As we know, *Rice v Connolly* says that simply refusing to give one's full details on the street (as opposed to false details) is not obstructing the police, and that was decided in 1966, when it was very much harder to definitively identify someone who wanted to be difficult than it is today. Absent situations like s50 Police Reform Act, is a person who is lawfully arrested *required* to then give their details, and if so, when does this requirement engage? I suspect there'd be at least a line of argument to suggest that a person is only *required* to identify themselves when brought before a court. late edit: and even in situations like s50 Police Reform Act, it may be a specific offence to refuse details, but that also demonstrates the general point: there *has* to be something making it an offence to refuse details *in that situation*, as an exception to the general rule. Offences under s50 are just that, you can commit them without also obstructing the police, and it's not a situation where two different offences are made out on the same facts and we can proceed with whichever one most suits the circumstances.

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Shriven@reddit

1) no such thing as a routine stop 2) you are not required to give you details when stop and searched.

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