Do you give to people begging in town ?

We used to give money to 'homeless' people in central London when there (not for well over a year now!) but their 'spots' showed that they were begging where there was real money. I always felt uneasy as they reeked of alcohol but we felt it was 'the right thing to do', however, reading up on this problem we now think we made a poor decision.

Fast forward to our local Waitrose where daily there sits a man with his begging bowl and mutt. Initially, we gave to him but visiting the store at different times of the day we realised that he was missing at lunch time and returned in time for the afternoon school run rush. After a few months, Waitrose put a notice up on their door explaining that 'X' (they knew the beggar's name) was not destitute. He was part of an organised gang who dropped him and his dog off and collected him later in the day. We were urged not to donate to him as we would be funding organised crime. Waitrose said that they had offered him food and contact with a homelessness charity, both of which had been refused.

Finally in a nearby town, there sits a beggar - with dog - who again, disappears for hours at a 'slack' time, only to reappear for the evening rush. I find it very hard to pass him and 'the right thing to do' comes to mind every time I sidle past. If I am honest, I do, if on my own, feel slightly intimidated by him. Perhaps it is my guilt?

I understand that there are now several outreach officers and organisations in cities who can help homeless people but if this is not, for any reason, accepted, beggars will remain.

It would be lovely to think that all donations were to be used for rent or food but unfortunately, this is not the case. There is no answer: give to all and organised crime is being funded/one is contributing to an addict's downward spiral. Give to none and the genuine beggar loses out.

Oh, when a child, the odd beggar could be spotted: always an elderly man, usually in the countryside - hardly ever in a town. It was thought then that chaps such as this wanted to live a solitary life but they were so rare that it was very exciting to see one!

One young lad who begged in our town used to get dropped off and picked up again by a guy driving a flashy Merc. You have to be careful who actually gets the money

I've also dealt with people who have had 'a little bit of weed' (but a large amount over a long time) and have ended up with a huge amount of psychosis in the local psychiatric unit.

I have previously stated that I worked as a homeless officer for over 25 years, I am not a Little Englander, or a Tory. I was trying very hard to get very vulnerable people into a situation when they could maintain a tenancy, not cause ASB, not get evicted from any tenancy, and generally have a life worth living. Many colleagues in different organizations were also involved so all of their time was to the same end. We weren't talking about 'a little bit of weed' either but people who were doing heroin, or were alcoholics and had health issues due to the alcoholism.
I, too, am a caring human being, but I don't care to see people die of an overdose or as an alcoholic on the streets if I could help and prevent it. And, do you know, I did prevent people going that way, as did my colleagues.

TheSocialHermit

No, I don't care what they spend it on! If a bit of weed or a few cans of beer helps blot out the hell they live in then so be it!
I presume most of the one's saying "No" on here are pathetic Tories and Little Englanders!
I speak as an ex-homeless person, an ex-homeless charity worker, and a caring human being!

Well, that's attitude for you.

No, I don't care what they spend it on! If a bit of weed or a few cans of beer helps blot out the hell they live in then so be it!
I presume most of the one's saying "No" on here are pathetic Tories and Little Englanders!
I speak as an ex-homeless person, an ex-homeless charity worker, and a caring human being!

We have one in our village, who gets dropped off by his wife and picked up when the shops shut.
We also have a Big Issue seller who is dropped of by a man. He then goes to the neighbouring village to sell his Big Issue.
Lots of these beggars are not homeless it is quite a lucrative business.
Real homeless people would not refuse a hot drink or food. There was a particular one who slept outside my workplace where it was sheltered. The technicians used to leave shoes and warm clothes for him, which he was very greatful for.
These scammers are making a hard life even harder for the genuine homeless people.

I give food, not money

In our town we are advised by our council not to give money to individuals on the street. Instead we have a really good local charity that provides safe accommodation, food, clothing etc for those in real need. It is easy to donate to the charity - either money or practical things such as toiletries, clothing etc.

We have seen several times that at the end of a day, so called homeless beggers go to their car and drive home!

I only give to buskers and big issue sellers, especiallly after an incident that I witnessed when visited York some years ago, I was sheltering in a doorway from the rain, waiting for my daughter, there was a young girl stood a few doorways down from me and she was begging, as I watched a smartly dressed woman approached her, there was a brief conversation and the young girl passed all her donations (takings) to her. I realised then that this was an organised scam, which is a crime.

Sadly no ...I do feel really sorry for all homeless and some in the City centre are so polite and even say Have a good day when you walk past without giving .....BUT to solve my conscience I DO give to the homeless charities, and the Salvation Army which eases my mind as they will distribute what is necessary and help where they can. Someone once said to me 'You'd take them all home with you if you could' ...ha ha, maybe not but WHEN (!!!) I win the lottery I would love to fund some kind of housing ...even though it wouldn't help many. I think it is appalling when even former members of UK military forces are consigned to the street ..... if you look at photos of Britain in the Victoria era there were always homeless people ...why, in all these intervening years do we see more and more ...........admittedly conditions in the workhouses were awful and sometimes men even resorted to sleeping 'over a string'...i.e.. sleeping hanging over a taught line ......so desperate. In the 21st century when we are sending money to other countries, rockets to the moon (though this is privately funded !) not one politician mentioned how to eradicate poverty, homelessnes, or even elderly care, in their manifesto .............appalling

There was a young woman standing begging in very cold weather when I last went shopping with my daughter some time before Covid in a nearby small town, not something you usually see. I put a pound coin in her collection cup, and she said thank you nicely, certainly didn’t throw it back at me, how rude was that, Urmstongran, she had no idea if you were giving your last sou. Anyway, I noticed that our girl’s hands were blue with cold, so I went into a little shop and bought her a nice pair of woollen gloves, that I would have happily worn myself, though my daughter said I was being foolish. Went back and gave them to her, she tried to refuse them but eventually took them after much pointing at hands, she didn’t speak English. The label was still on, it was clear I’d just bought them. We went on shopping, and passed her again on the way back, she wasn’t wearing the gloves.
Reading the earlier comments, maybe I was being patronising and should have given her the money instead, to buy what she wanted not what I thought she needed. Why didn’t she wear them - was it because she thought donations would be better if her hands were blue with cold? Or did someone controlling her think that? Or did she just not like them or maybe was allergic to wool? I have wondered why when I have passed the spot where she was standing, but she hasn’t been there again.

No, I'll buy dog food, or a drink etc, but won't give money. Sadly having worked in prisons, I am aware that a great deal of donations go to drugs and alcohol so refuse to give cash x

Yes I give when I can. Some people are not able to cope with the conditions and gauntlet they need to pass with services provided. That's why some churches go onto the streets with soup etc. There are no conditions when I give. Whatever makes there life a bit more tolerable is okay with me.

I have been known to in both Glasgow and Edinburgh. When I visited my London based son, we were walking together through the streets of south east London. People asking for cash but he was keen for me to walk on by. He indicated that he supports a few charities each month (very lucky to be on a high salary). Possibly this might be the way to go.

Sitting on a BUS not bug

I have given money, food and drink plus blankets. B4 lockdown I was on a bug going along a large shopping street area, saw this guy sitting on pavement, he had no shoes on. On my return I broke my journey, got off bus, crossed road asked this guy what size shoes he wore, I then went into nearby charity shop. I asked about men's shoes size 8, the manager said 'they're not for the guy outside are they?. I said yes. He said 'save yr money ?, if people give him anything other than money he puts it all in the bin, he is sitting on his ? shoes and when he is ready he puts them on and goes home.'
These people spoil it for others.

No.

No - I will offer to buy a hot/cold drink but that is it. I offered to buy a cold drink one hot day and the guy said `I would rather have a tenner`. It made me smile he was so cheeky.

I used to travel to London on business and regularly gave to people outside the railway stations at both ends of my journey. One day (on a tube in London) I saw a girl I had given to several times, in clean (fairly expensive looking) clothes and with a child!
After that, I would only offer food - which was often declined!

No. A drink or sandwich is kindest. If someone is ill - addicted to alcohol or drugs - they will prefer to spend money on alcohol or drugs, and not eat. If you have ever known an addict you will know that person is very needy - it is not a lifestyle choice.

Anyone using the term ‘these people’ may need to have a think about who ‘these people’ are . So yes, you may not know if these people are deserving or non deserving so due to this if you have a spare coin or two then give it, as if you won’t miss it what harm can it do ? Also try not to generalise, it’s not helpful.

We get a few outside our local Lidl, usually looking well fed with smart rucksacks with well fed dogs. We don't give to these. But someone elderly who is obviously in need then we get sandwiches and water which are usually well received. The French are generally better mannered here than in UK anyway and probably wouldn't be rude if you didn't give them money.

The local supermarkets often have an organisation at the door with a shopping trolley and ask you to pick up non perishable items. This I do as I know it will go to needy families.

BTW, the notice period via a Section 21 notice is usually 2 months although at present the arrangements are different due to the pandemic. Also, the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 places greater responsibilities on local authorities to prevent homelessness and give advice to those threatened with homelessness.
Paperbackwriter, no I don't have people policing my spending, but if you are giving to those who are using drugs then you are assisting someone in criminal behaviour and causing other issues such ASB. Your money is funding organized crime but if you don't care about that fair enough. Perhaps you could just buy them a bag of their drug of choice and hand it to them? I suspect you wouldn't do that ? Most local authorities and the police ask residents not give money but make donations to any local charity that deals direct with beggars /street homeless people. That way you know where the money is spent.
It was flipping hard work and really stressful dealing with homeless people, every single day I did my best, I would do all sorts of things that were really not in my job description, too numerous to mention. It was also extremely frustrating to find that I was attempting to get a vulnerable person back on the straight and narrow, with other professionals from various organizations, we would ask members of the public not to give direct for the reasons I have given, and then we find all of our efforts were for nothing as the customer had managed to go back to using again. I would see the person out on the street begging when I knew they had a roof over their head and an income from the DWP, yes I know that isn't a fortune, but the money made from begging was ruining all of our efforts.
End of rant.

No I don't. I used to work in a first floor office that overlooked the local co-op. Every morning at the same time, I watched a guy walk up with a 3 legged dog in a broken baby pushchair and set up his blanket. All day people would leave the shop and hand him change, food, drinks etc. Every time it was quiet he would be sitting chatting away or texting on a mobile phone or lighting up a cigarette.
None of which I begrudged him, but it didn't quite sit right with the fact he was apparently destitute.
One day, my sister called me from an expensive local seaside restaurant.
The same 'homeless' guy was there, dressed up to the nines with his wife and child, eating a slap-up meal I couldn't afford and drinking like he had no care in the world!
While I do really feel for the genuine cases, if they are truly homeless they would appreciate food and drink, not demand cash!