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Money or food to beggars ?

(79 Posts)
Jaffacake2 Sun 22-Sept-24 20:34:44

I'm sure this has been discussed before but made me think today after encountering 2 beggars in town centre. I asked both of them separately whether they needed food or a hot drink. One said he would welcome a sandwich or a roll from Greggs, the other stated he wanted money only.
I bought sandwich and tea but didn't give money.
Then I thought about it. The argument is always that any money you give homeless people would probably go on buying drugs. But if you had to sleep on the streets maybe you would need drugs to get through another 24hours. Are they homeless due to drug addiction,or do they become reliant on drugs to cope with the horrors of being on the streets ?
What are people's ideas on this big social problem ?

DiddyNan Thu 26-Sept-24 16:13:54

Sorry. Meant to say we’ve not had an issue with anyone having to prove their local connection for them to receive help.

Barmeyoldbat Thu 26-Sept-24 19:07:38

First there are gang masters who drop their beggars off and pick them up and who cannot speak English and look drugged up to the eyeballs. I have reported, put of concern, three of these beggars to the police and it was taken seriously. The other is I stopped in a city centre to give a very young boy a sandwich and a hot drink, seems he had only just left home so I took him to St Mungos who then helped him. It’s all just so sad

granjan66 Fri 27-Sept-24 00:13:28

I don't give money. I once lived in a country where gypsy children came to the gate (locked) begging. I always gave them food but not money.