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Beggars, homeless, street drinkers & drug users in Sheffield!

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Returned to Sheffield to visit friends this week and can't believe the amount of beggars on the streets of the city centre! Most have dogs to tug at the heartstrings which is a cheap trick and borders on animal cruelty as these animals have no say as to who their owners are. The best thing I saw was a 'homeless' guy selling the big issue while looking intently at his touchscreen phone which looked better than the one I own!

If someone is generous enough to give some spare change would it be better spent on food or saved until you have enough money for a top up?

Does anyone know if these people are genuine or not?

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Well if he's got a decent mobile he must be a fairly successful big issue seller.

 

and he can't be spending his earnings on fags, booze or worse...........

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I went to Scarborough for the weekend - ditto.

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It appears to be the new thing, begging. Probably pays better than minimum wage too! Although it is still illegal and I wonder why the police don't move them on.

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They have better things to be doing than hassling beggars?

 

"Catching real criminals" and the like

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Returned to Sheffield to visit friends this week and can't believe the amount of beggars on the streets of the city centre! Most have dogs to tug at the heartstrings which is a cheap trick and borders on animal cruelty as these animals have no say as to who their owners are. The best thing I saw was a 'homeless' guy selling the big issue while looking intently at his touchscreen phone which looked better than the one I own!

If someone is generous enough to give some spare change would it be better spent on food or saved until you have enough money for a top up?

Does anyone know if these people are genuine or not?

 

If I see them with a dog, they are more likely to get nothing from me, cause if they can afford to keep a dog, they don't need the help imho...

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Aren't the Big Issue Sellers generally those who are getting back on their feet?

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Aren't the Big Issue Sellers generally those who are getting back on their feet?

 

Yes believe so, and I have bought it before, but it's £3 now and full of crap.

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There is one of the Big Issue sellers that has been selling for many, many years, and if fact he brags about the fact it's just a means to pay for his beer money, :loopy:

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Aren't the Big Issue Sellers generally those who are getting back on their feet?

 

Possibly - although it may have more to do with the fact that, as a Big Issue seller, you are classed as Self Employed, and if you say you work for more than 16 hours a week, you qualify for Working Tax Credit, (or something similar) which can be a substantial amount per week, (over £100 I believe, but don't quote me).

 

On the other hand, begging is quite lucrative, and has the advantage of being taxfree on top of whatever unemployment or sickness benefits you can gain.

 

Let's face it, if you live in, and register for benefits at, say Doncaster, and go begging in Sheffield city centre, you are unlikely to meet anyone who would put two and two together...

 

Thus you can have Housing benefit, Job Seekers or, more likely some form of sickness benefit (I have lost count of all the changes recently) Free prescriptions, etc, etc and probably make quite a lot begging on top... not a bad lifestyle. I remember a while back, someone videoed a beggar in the town centre, and the end of the day, complete with dog-on-a-rope going back to his rather upmarket car and heading home, wherever that was.

 

Call me a tad cynical, but..

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Guest makapaka

i think sometimes people just like to demonise beggars as it makes it easier to not confront the fact that in 2016 there are people effectively living in shop doorways.

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Returned to Sheffield to visit friends this week and can't believe the amount of beggars on the streets of the city centre! Most have dogs to tug at the heartstrings which is a cheap trick and borders on animal cruelty as these animals have no say as to who their owners are. The best thing I saw was a 'homeless' guy selling the big issue while looking intently at his touchscreen phone which looked better than the one I own!

If someone is generous enough to give some spare change would it be better spent on food or saved until you have enough money for a top up?

Does anyone know if these people are genuine or not?

 

Big Issue sellers are not beggars. For the most part they are people who find themselves homeless and heading for the scrap heap. At least they are trying to find a way back.

 

Best not to judge people - especially if you don't know their story.

 

Luckily most people have more compassion and will help people on their uppers; why not give a tenner to the Archer Project which helps dozens of people battling against addiction, mental illness and homelessness?

 

Here's a link for you

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