Do you give to people begging in town ?

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

The Romanian gangs are definitely a big problem, they really need rounding up and charged by the Police. I always give to the poor in our area when out shopping, there but for the grace of god could go any of us.

Sometimes I do. If when I come out of a supermarket I sometimes see homeless persons - always on their own - and will give them the £1 coin I used for my trolley - if I have any more loose coins in pocket will give them that too.

My husband always gives to people he sees on the street. We came out of a supermarket one day and there was a young man begging for change my DH gave him a £5 note the young man couldn’t believe it and said ‘are you sure do u want change’ certainly not said DH. Whilst we are very aware it may have been spent on something we wouldn’t spend it on it was not a reason not to give. I always think it could be my son.

There are many reasons for
homelessness - not just substance abuse but also mental health issues, relationship breakdown, domestic violence, etc. My DD runs a local homeless charity which she co-founded and I asked her about street beggars. She said that it is a very difficult moral question which is hotly debated.

Her opinion is that there is no right or wrong answer. On one hand, she has seen many instances where begging is funding people's addiction and contributing to their personal decline. On the other hand, if they don't get money that way, they may turn to crime to get it. People won't start their recovery until they are ready, and until the resources are available to help them, and many will turn to crime if there's no other way to fund their addiction.

DD says that she knows quite a few people, usually ex-homeless, who are accommodated but pretend to be homeless. They always have a good sob story and it's usually to get money for drugs or alcohol.

Her advice is to only give to someone if you feel comfortable about it, treat stories with some scepticism and suggest other ways of helping, eg contacting the council's outreach team or a homeless charity.

I don't think that the big problem, at least in our city, is professional beggars. It's drugs, and to a lesser degree alcohol, which is contributing to the massive number of street beggars, whether homeless or not. Drugs are cheap, they offer temporary escape and the long term help for recovery isn't widely available. However, DD sees many people with serious mental health problems - some with addictions, some not - and the help available is virtually non-existent.

I remember looking after her kids over an Easter weekend whilst she was trying to help a woman whose home was a cupboard outside a pub where they kept the bins. This woman was an alcoholic with severe mental health problems, and was physically and sexually abused by her boyfriend (who had a flat and didn't live in the cupboard.) It took DD ages to coax her to come with her to hospital, where they kept her for a couple of days for her physical injuries but then wanted to put her back on the street because there were no beds available for mental health. DD practically had to beg until they found a place in the psychiatric care unit.

That's just one person and there are thousands like her. There's supposed to be care in the community but the resources just don't exist, so mentally ill people are liable to end up on the street. Many of them self-medicate with illegal drugs. So it's often not a straightforward case of substance abuse, there is serious mental illness too.

So, all in all, a very complex problem. Should you give them money? If you want to. Will they spend it on drugs or booze? Possibly. Is their sad story true? Possibly. Are they all addicts? No, some are not. Are they all mentally ill? No, some are not. Are Are they professional beggars? Probably not. Is there help available? Yes, but you have to know how to access it. That's what the charities can do.

Bluecat - great post, I could have written it myself. ????

(In fact if I’d ever helped a lady in a cupboard I may have thought you were my mother-in-law. ?

I would never give money but would give a hot pasty or sandwich.

I seldom gave money until one day when I parked my car I saw a woman begging at the exit. It turned out to be the ex-partner of someone I had known a bit a few years earlier, he had been an associate of the man I was dating at that time. So now I always give some money and think about what happened to her. A change in circumstances can happen to any one of us.

Most of the beggars in my city are part of the trafficking gang. I don't give them anything.
I occasionally buy a big issue, but even these have sadly been corrupted by these gangs so always ask to see their badge!!
I also don't like seeing dogs being used. There have been several recent reports of these poor dogs being drugged to keep them still and compliant and they are shared between beggars on shift.

I always gave what I could year's ago but times have changed since then and some on the street are not genuine. I prefer to donate to my local children's hospice and take part in charity raffles.

No ours are famous one has a council house and the other parks his car in Tescos for 3 hours goes begging than back home to his flat in a nearby town.Its only dopey tourists who give to them!

I usually ask if they'd like a coffee but one guy then gave me a very complicated order involving a latte plus a breakfast sandwich with hash browns and a side of fries!! I did get it but now am wary of asking!

Exactly Bluecat.
We can see what is front of us and sometimes should be a little bit compassionate rather than judgmental.

I presume most of the one's saying "No" on here are pathetic Tories and Little Englanders!

And you presume too much TheSocialHermit, unless you've done a poll of the voting predilections of everyone who has posted so far? You certainly got me wrong.

Thanks grannyactivist. There are no easy answers. My daughter started off believing every story but was soon disillusioned. She has also had many disappointments, when it seemed that people were turning their lives around, with the charity's help, but then slid back into drugs and rough sleeping. So now she accepts that people are going to lie, relapse, break promises, etc, because problems that have built up over years can't be fixed just by putting a roof over someone's head. Most of the people she helps have very complex issues. Few of them are a danger to others but many are a danger to themselves.

I give money to street buskers. I would buy food and give instead of money to beggars. My brother was an alcoholic, giving money would not have helped.

I go to Greggs and get a couple of gift cards for a fiver or so, and have them handy in my pocket for when I see someone I think could do with a drink and pie/sandwich.

Instead of giving money to the person, I make a reasonable donation every time I have a cuppa at my local Social Bite cafe. The money goes towards a meal for a person who can't afford to pay, and they get to use the toilet too. No angst for me about how they might spend the donation.

I was told by a charity walker not to give money to beggars as it will be spent on drugs and drink. I was told to buy food instead. More recently I have seen some beggars using smartphones - so how do they afford those? some big cities have donation points in empty shops where a credit card be put against a window for a quick £2 or £3 donation. I rarely buy the big issue as a) I never know the amount b) the content varies in quality. I wish sellers of the big issue would sell a magazine with recipes or facts about wildlife or puzzle books. Printers don't always sell the magazines such as puzzle books and are returned - the sellers could buy these at cost, sell these for a original fee and keep the difference. I fully appreciate I have more than most of the poor souls but I prefer to give in food