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Original poster

Do you give money to homeless people?

131 replies

cwtchesandprosecco · 09/08/2019 18:02

Hi everyone,

Interested in everyone’s opinion on this.

On the train on the way and a man started walking down the carriages asking for money for a shelter. He seemed like a genuine, friendly guy and wasn’t pushing but despite genuinely wanting to I stopped myself from giving any change.

I don’t know whether it was the feeling of being a bit trapped that stopped me, obviously can’t just walk away with, but something did.

So, would you/ do you give money to homeless people who ask for it?

OP posts:
Goingtoexplode · 09/08/2019 21:18

A woman in Glasgow was raped by a homeless man she tried to help. In broad daylight I’m sure.

I don’t give money or anything, because you can’t tell the bad choices from the bad luck.

formerbabe · 09/08/2019 21:24

Yup. I every single time. We don't get a lot near where we live but when in central Edinburgh ds won't go past without giving a pound from his own pocket money. He's 6 and when he grows up he's buying a big mansion house so he can 'stop homelessness'. I'm not going to correct a good hearted 6 year old or judge

Your ds sounds like a sweetheart but I would be discouraging him to engage with strangers, particularly ones with addictions.

goingtotown · 09/08/2019 21:55

Kings Cross station 2006, a young girl looking homeless asked me for money to buy a ticket to York as she wanted to go home to her mother. Feeling sorry for her I said I didn’t have the cash but would buy the ticket at the ticket office with my card. She refused my offer & disappeared. A lesson learned.

Winebottle · 09/08/2019 21:59

I do occasionally. I like the ones who seem happy / do a go job of pretending to be. Not the ones who say good morning to everyone but I'm a sucker for a none pushy one who gives me a nice smile.

Of course charities will tell you to give money to them but they skim most of it off in salaries.

I don't mind if they spend it on booze and drugs. Most people in their position are lost causes. They have had loads of chances and fucked them all up. Very few will go on to become productive members of society so I don't blame them abusing substances to get through the day.

I would never give to people on trains. They do it because they have you trapped. My music goes to full blast as soon as I hear "I'm very sorry to disturb you ladies and gentleman..." It seems to be getting worse in London.

XXcstatic · 09/08/2019 22:14

There are very few genuine homeless people in Britain

Not true - there are huge numbers of homeless people. Surveys on street sleeping are done by someone from the local council driving around once a year and counting the number of street sleepers s/he can see from the car. It's as unsophisticated as that, and it misses most street sleepers -including almost all women - because most hide for safety reasons. And there are many more people sofa-surfing with no proper home.

Homelessness is a huge problem, but giving money to beggars is not the way to solve it. People on this thread who are patting themselves on the back for their compassion need to realise that they are fuelling human trafficking. As for the poster who gave money to a woman and child who just needed a train fare - I've got a bridge and some Nigerian gold you might like..

hotcrossbun4321 · 09/08/2019 22:17

I don’t give money as I’d rather not be funding organised gang activity/trafficking or helping vulnerable people feed their addictions.

I have offered food before however. I’ve also phoned the referral line No Second Night Out where you can notify them of a rough sleeper and ask them to send a support worker to intervene - once when there was a teenage girl with a much older man, another time when there was a guy who seemed to have very severe mental illness who was regularly outside my office. I also contacted the council and various charities to try and get help for an Eastern European guy with addiction who was living in the bike sheds by my flat in squalid conditions. It’s definitely become much more visible in London unfortunately.

ImogenTubbs · 09/08/2019 22:35

Urgh, this is a horrible thread. It really bothers me when people say, "but their dog was well fed, but they had a duvet, but they were wearing new trainers, so they must have been a con artist." How poor does someone have to look to merit sympathy? Maybe someone bought them some trainers? Maybe their main priority is looking after their canine best buddy as they don't judge and patronize them. And while I know there are organized gangs, it's not a 'con' if someone's asking you for money for a shelter and that a lie - they still need money and they're trying the best way they know how to get some when they are desperate and don't feel they have another option. Homeless people are not all perfect people who have experienced mysterious catastrophe - they are normal people with weaknesses - to expect them to be suitably grubby, suitably contrite, whatever to fit your idea of what a deserving poor person should be is just incredibly patronizing. Sure, don't give money if you don't want to or can't, and yes, giving to organized charities is often better in the long run but don't tell yourself your doing it for any reason other than you don't want to and you don't think it's your problem. Whatever else is going on there's a strong chance they're having a worse day than you are.

Right, rant over.

Hadenoughofitall441 · 09/08/2019 22:40

I don’t, 90% homeless people in my area are drug users. If they ask me no way do I give it to them, I do buy food for the ones that mind thier own business.

Hadenoughofitall441 · 09/08/2019 22:42

I find they are getting worse, if you tell them you haven’t got cash, they are like oh there’s a cash point there you can get some money out. That pisses me right off.

EmeraldShamrock · 09/08/2019 22:47

There are very few genuine homeless people in Britain
Seriously untrue.
The amount of random tents pitched out, yes most have social issues and probably couldn't cope in a home, many are young men there is no help for young single me.
The streets are safer than most hostels in Ireland, drug use, fights, people with serious MH illnesses, I doubt there is a big difference in the UK.
Afaik most seaside towns in the UK have lots of homeless tents.
Nearly every doorway has a person tucked up at night in Dublin city centre.

Ronnie27 · 09/08/2019 22:52

Nope. I’ve worked in housing. Give to local projects instead.

Jsmith99 · 09/08/2019 23:02

No.

My understanding is that the vast majority of homeless people who beg in the street have drug and/or alcohol dependency issues so giving them cash to spend on more drugs and booze is not a good idea.

If I wanted to help homeless people I would donate to a relevant charity.

CallMeRachel · 09/08/2019 23:09

I don't understand why anyone who can spare a pound wouldn't pass it to someone who has nothing.

Bless you, your naivety is rare but I'm afraid you are feeding into the criminal gangs. Police advice is not to give money to beggars, and the people doing it are not genuine homeless they do it as a lifestyle choice. Most hostels have rules about alcohol etc, many street beggars sadly chose the drink over a roof over their heads.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/25/every-beggar-britains-smallest-city-fake-according-police/amp/

InsertFunnyUsername · 09/08/2019 23:11

There are very few genuine homeless people in britain

People can't believe this surely?

I rarely give money, mainly because I don't carry cash. A fast food place In my local town centre has a menu you can "pre order" off and they distribute food out, I have done that a couple of times, not a lot though.

I know a few people who say they don't because homeless charities advise not to, when in reality it's because they don't want to (which is fine) and look down on them 🤷‍♀️

AudacityOfHope · 09/08/2019 23:14

Well thanks for your patronising blessings Hmmbut I'm happy to give just on the off-chance that, you know, real homelessness exists and some people genuinely need help.

As for them spending it on drink or whatever: I'd drink myself stupid if I lived that life, and I'm nobody to judge.

Honeyroar · 10/08/2019 08:00

It’s not a choice between giving money to a street beggar or giving nothing. There are many other ways to help that don’t involve a good chance that you’re getting ripped off. Give to soup kitchens/food banks or shelter etc.

Ounce · 10/08/2019 08:10

God, no.

My money is mine. I've earned it and paid tax on it and have plans for it. I'm not giving it away to randoms. Find it astonishing that anyone would, frankly. Perhaps it's less of a deal if you don't have to work for your own living, who knows.

ombre123 · 10/08/2019 08:59

I work closely with a local homeless charity and they never recommend giving money only food etc x

JoyceJeffries · 10/08/2019 09:09

No

I do regularly donate to two local charity who do amazing work with long term homeless people.

areyoubeingserviced · 10/08/2019 09:21

No
I give money to Shelter via direct debit

CherryPavlova · 10/08/2019 09:27

Huge amounts of urban myth and unkindness. How we treat our most vulnerable marks how we as a society are. Sometimes we don’t look very civilised, do we? It’s an absolute disgrace that in the 21st century one of the richest nations on earth has a homeless problem. It’s appalling that mental health services are so decimated by chronic underfunding that even those leaving the armed forces who’ve served in conflict and developed PTSD are on the streets. It’s disgusting that children leaving care end up on the streets.

www.crisis.org.uk/ending-homelessness/about-homelessness/
www.homeless.org.uk/facts/homelessness-in-numbers

AudacityOfHope · 10/08/2019 09:40

Ounce, who on this thread do you imagine doesn't have to earn their own money? Are you under the impression I'm frittering away Daddy's millions, when in reality it's more like giving the price of a cup of coffee to someone who could easily go a day with nothing at all?

Some of the attitudes on this thread make me realise why our society is becoming so dehumanised and disconnected.

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 10/08/2019 09:49

Unfortunately a lot of begging is driven by gangs in this city. I buy our local equivalent of the Big Issue and donate to local charities. It’s just coming up for the biggest tourist time of year so that means we’ll have the accordion-playing beggars on the trains too.
Our local homeless charities are excellent and in the winter they have a special bus for rough sleepers - if you see someone out in the cold you can ring their number and they will go find that person and bring them into safety.

RavenLG · 10/08/2019 09:54

My work does a lot with local homeless charities and no I tend not to give money directly, after hearing some awful stories of coercion and abuse from gang type situations. If asked and they’re sitting outside a shop I will offer to buy them something from inside.

Flurgle · 10/08/2019 10:03

I do, particularly to ones I see regularly- lots live in tents here and you see them sleeping outside the shopping centre all year round.
I think it’s not for me to judge what they do with it. But I don’t if I’m in London as the situation is often very different there - gangs etc.