Professional beggars AREN'T homeless
 

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/...AND_OCTOBE.JPG

The so-called professional beggars who have access to accommodation, are said to see begging for cash as a "lucrative way of making money"

Professional beggars who aren't homeless are targeting high street shoppers to obtain cash for alcohol and drugs, a new report reveals.

Of 16 active beggars known to agencies in North East Lincolnshire, the "vast majority" have access to accommodation, the document claims.

And in most cases, the money they receive from kind-hearted passersby will be used to fund a drug - or possibly alcohol - addiction, it adds

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...arent-11647901



http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/ne...beggars-940879

Of course its the fact that misguided do-gooders give money to beggars that causes them to exist in the first place.

DO you help pro beggars buy alcohol and drugs?

It's best to give the homeless food and drink if you're going to give them anything, better to put money towards supporting charities and accommodations for the homeless.

I do think stories like this are irresponsible though, sure, there's scammers out there but stories like this will also make it harder on people who are genuinely begging because they have nothing.

Yes but the pro beggars make it far worse

thus if we just never gave money to beggars it would dissappear and real homeless would get the help they need

and no one is telling me they have a scooby doo who is real and who isnt when they dish out a quid

i'm quite prepared to buy a homeless person a cup of tea or a meal, but i will buy it personally, no way i am just giving money to someone on the street. I should add, any time i have offered i've been told to piss off

For argument sake, why shouldn't a genuinely homeless person be allowed to spend their money on drugs or alcohol? If they're living on the streets, why shouldn't they get to live on Cloud Nine?

they can if they want, but i wont contribute to them

Yeah someone who lives in the same block of flats as my uncle does this and it is quite common, but there are also a LOT of genuine homeless people. More work should be done to stop the scammers, it's incredibly harmful to homeless people

I wouldn't begrudge them it tbh. Not saying it's right but realistically I know if I was living on the streets I'd probably want to be somewhere else mentally too.

Some of them that I've noticed since moving to London ask for money so they can pay for a hostel to sleep in (not sure if it's a london thing and to do with the number of shelters or if it's just because there's so many more homeless people here but I've found it to be a far more frequent thing here), so I think it's probably more helpful to give those ones money... obviously it's impossible to know if they're genuine though.

Many are homeless and addicted, would people rather they beg...or steal?

If the alternative to theft was 7 hrs begging in freezing temperatures which is preferable?

Its a damned if you do and damned if you don't dilemma.

Genuine homeless people are less likely to ask for money. The majority of them don't bother people. If I spot someone who looks genuinely homeless I've been known to approach them and ask if they are homeless. If they are then I ask if they are hungry and go and buy them a McDonalds meal or a kebab but I generally don't give small change to people who ask me for it.

I always pay for a big issue at least once a week but I don't take the magazine. What a horrible demeaning job that has to be.

the whole point is you cant tell who is genuine

unless you have some sort of magic power?

and are you saying people selling the local newspaper have a demeaning job?

heaven knows what you must make of binmen

Someone who uses a hostel usually needs to prove that they are in receipt of benefits and when they are in receipt of benefits they can claim housing benefit once they have found a hosel. They don't even need to pay up front; so long as they can prove they are entitled and as long as there's room, they get in.

Night shelters are free but usually want a referral.

I would be very wary about anyone asking for money for a hostel.

Because if they're genuinely homeless it's likely their addiction put them there.

Would you really willingly fund someone's addiction?

It always amazes me how people jump to defend the so called homeless, but where are the families and friends of these people?

Give them food and drink, but don't give them money.

There are people who are not homeless and don't have an addiction, these people do it for the cash.

People can only sell Big Issue if they can prove that they are homeless, sleeping rough. In temporary accommodation. In danger of losing a home, unemployed and facing financial crisis.
Selling big issues says you are one of these ^ things. Its a label that you've hit hard times.

I believe bin men are on good salaries. I don't see their job any different to any other blue collar worker. You clearly do.

I've spent quite a lot of time volunteering with a homeless shelter and I recognize quite a few old timers in my district. There's a woman up the road from us who wears all her clothes (I mean her entire wardrobe) at the same time because if she leaves them anywhere they get removed. She never begs. She never so much as looks you in the eye. She uses a shelter through the winter months but she prefers to be outdoors during the summer. When I look at people like her I know she's been ****ed by the system. She clearly has some sort of mental illness, though I doubt she's ever been diagnosed. There's a massive amount of mental illness amongst homeless people.

Mental illness often leads to addiction.

Obviously.

That doesn't change what I said.

I always say, I'm so lucky to have a family. Someone to fall back on if I hit hard times. There's a good amount of homeless people who don't have a family... imagine what that would be like. Kids often come out of the care system with nobody to turn to but their social worker and eventually, that social worker won't be around for them anymore. They hit hard times and all they have are a few friends who may offer a temporary sofa for a couple of weeks.


I agree with this. There are some very good scams going on. Professional beggars can make a lot of money if they find the right pitch.

No but we can't say its their fault either.

I never once suggested it was their fault. Don't twist my words.

As I said what's the alternative to begging for those addicted... Theft?

I don't know. I don't have any control over that. I do, however, have control over not funding a drug habit.

Yes a Worldwide problem now

Spoken like a true NIMBY.

I beg your pardon?

How does this term apply to me exactly?

I guess it was your jump from homeless person to addict and the dismissive context.

There but for the grace of god go I eh?

I didn't make that jump. You specifically asked about "those addicted".

Not once have I suggested homeless people are all addicts and that it's their fault.

I have addicts in my family so don't dare suggest you know me at all when it comes to this subject.

But, hey, you enjoy riding that high horse. I hope you don't fall.

No horses here, I'm an addict myself Marsh.
I feel it personally when it's suggested that they would walk by addicts, but I shouldn't have said that to you perhaps, sorry.

The homeless peddlers advertise it as a professional trade in the jails here. Some have bragged that they can get $1,000/day in "a good spot". It's very common for them to shuffle in and out and take advantage of medical treatments available there and then going back out. It's a lifestyle for some, where they are well-networked and take advantage of all the services to continue peddling. I don't give anything to them, but if I see a church group or advocacy group on the road, then I donate directly to an organization that will get them off the streets rather than to make it a lifestyle.

I agree with passing ordinances to discourage this, that they all but pretty much stop people from giving money or running a food truck, etc. We have some land near the shopping areas here and there's a big homeless camp back there. The police know where they are, so they've been going and actively trying to get them into programs. I'm constantly having to shoo people off going to to the store, and while I wish I could just give, I know if it's easy money, it's not real help and it's going to encourage people to continue with the lifestyle decision rather than to go get real help.

I think the local areas should invest in the organizations, not rely exclusively on welfare that keeps the poverty cycle continuing. I wouldn't call it abusing welfare to use it to as a stipend to peddle... once the money is in their wallet, it's theirs to choose to spend. Welfare services doesn't follow up with trying to get their lives together, they just pay money and hope they find it in themselves back in order.

I disagree with the title though in those instances. They have no home (really), they are simply "transient"... I had two uncles (no longer living) that were like this, and they didn't want to be grounded. Some people are just like this, they don't quite fit in with normal society and like to live without extraneous structure, so it's an attractive lifestyle.

Houston man suing the city for the right to feed the homeless
http://www.fox26houston.com/news/hou...d-the-homeless

Groups push to end cash handouts to homeless in northwest Houston
http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/to...n-12229877.php

Healthcare for the Homeless
https://www.homeless-healthcare.org/

Mayor Turner reveals plan to deal with homelessness
http://abc13.com/news/mayor-reveals-...sness/1782063/

Thanks. No problem.

from what I see the new form of beggar is not desperate - you can spot a genuine homeless person if you use your eyes.

this is a lucrative business now and where as street beggars are moved on ie if it is outside a major store the new form of beggar seems to avoid this which is feeding the rabbit and I would not say the professional beggar has a addiction to drugs or alcohol - the addiction is with free money - need a bit of wham - hey suckers ?

I agree with both your paragraphs. Having volunteered with homeless people I believe I have a good eye for spotting the genuine ones from the professional ones.

They say that professional beggars can make up to £500 a day and the money is often used to pay for car finance and mortgages. They often sit outside restaurants looking forlorn; a good place to play on people's guilt.