This is a strange assumption given it has zero historical basis and is, by and large, a modern invention.
That said, I know it's a bit of a leap from paper to internet access. In my country at least, I can say confidently that there is a law mandating free access to government services. At least such services that you are required by law to interact with.
Getting to a government office was historically a barrier. It still is in much of the world.
> there is a law mandating free access to government services
To be clear, I think this is a good thing. I just don't think it's reasonable to assume it to be true.
That is a very good point, and something I did not include in my logic. Thanks for pointing that out.
You can't in general attend government offices in the UK. You can't rock up with your tax return, or apply for a passport, say. You can get paper forms from the Post Office, or sent out from the gov service itself (sometimes, some are digital only) and most libraries (and some other community centres) offer help to access online services.