[gaius]

Tl;dr woman fails to complete paperwork correctly and gets form letter in response.

This article is pure clickbait.

[misja111]

No you didn't properly read the article:

".. the application form included a box for reasons for not including a valid passport as long as it was due to circumstances beyond your control."

And:

"Hawkins points out that she included a solicitor-approved photocopy of her passport plus a covering letter to explain why she could not be without her passport for the four to six months it takes to process."

[mcguire]

As a general tip, "I want to travel in the meantime" isn't a valid reason to withhold your passport when applying for residency. And having your mother or your lawyer sign a note doesn't carry much weight.