It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

Mummy2cheekymonkeys

I always seem to have problems with apps refusing to open when at the checkout. If you open your app ie lidl or asda you can take a screenshot of your barcode and save it to your photos. That way if your internet connection isnt working or the app is down for some reason you still have your barcode to scan and get your rewards.

cheerfulness4

Mummy2cheekymonkeys said:

I always seem to have problems with apps refusing to open when at the checkout. If you open your app ie lidl or asda you can take a screenshot of your barcode and save it to your photos. That way if your internet connection isnt working or the app is down for some reason you still have your barcode to scan and get your rewards.

Brilliant. Never thought of that.

lesleyb

arnoldy said:

YoungBlueEyes said:

The answer is no because some of these people now are professional beggars, and do very well out of it.

I remember watching a prog a wee while ago about exactly this - some beggars were making a very good living doing it. It was mainly in London and other major cities tho IIRC.

Just to emphasise - some people, not all, and not everywhere.

Absolutely right. If you notice they hang out next to cashpoints (to make you guilty). Also, they tend to beg outside Waitrose and Co-op, never Asda or Iceland - easier pickings presumably. 

And many (most?) are not homeless. A homeless person sleeping on the streets will stink to high heaven and have grimy dirty skin and matted hair. 

Once when I was in a City, I walked to get an early morning train through all the centre at 4am - I expected to find many hundreds in doorways and porticos but didn't come accross anyone.

We have a few that sit outside our Tesco, one is a family members BIL. He told her he can earn £100 a day     He lives in a 2 bedroom flat and wears what he calls his work clothes when he goes begging, ie old trainers, dirty clothes as he can get more money like that, 

-taff

I don't give any money anymore. When I see someone outside the sm sitting on a white duvet, I know they're better off than they appear.

Rosa_Damascena

lesleyb said:

arnoldy said:

YoungBlueEyes said:

The answer is no because some of these people now are professional beggars, and do very well out of it.

I remember watching a prog a wee while ago about exactly this - some beggars were making a very good living doing it. It was mainly in London and other major cities tho IIRC.

Just to emphasise - some people, not all, and not everywhere.

Absolutely right. If you notice they hang out next to cashpoints (to make you guilty). Also, they tend to beg outside Waitrose and Co-op, never Asda or Iceland - easier pickings presumably. 

And many (most?) are not homeless. A homeless person sleeping on the streets will stink to high heaven and have grimy dirty skin and matted hair. 

Once when I was in a City, I walked to get an early morning train through all the centre at 4am - I expected to find many hundreds in doorways and porticos but didn't come accross anyone.

We have a few that sit outside our Tesco, one is a family members BIL. He told her he can earn £100 a day     He lives in a 2 bedroom flat and wears what he calls his work clothes when he goes begging, ie old trainers, dirty clothes as he can get more money like that, 

Work clothes 

He's earning more than the NMW through deception, presumably neither paying his stamp or taxes. That is nothing to be proud of, especially given it blunts charitable giving to people in genuine need that feel they have no choice.

CKhalvashi

Rosa_Damascena said:

lesleyb said:

arnoldy said:

YoungBlueEyes said:

The answer is no because some of these people now are professional beggars, and do very well out of it.

I remember watching a prog a wee while ago about exactly this - some beggars were making a very good living doing it. It was mainly in London and other major cities tho IIRC.

Just to emphasise - some people, not all, and not everywhere.

Absolutely right. If you notice they hang out next to cashpoints (to make you guilty). Also, they tend to beg outside Waitrose and Co-op, never Asda or Iceland - easier pickings presumably. 

And many (most?) are not homeless. A homeless person sleeping on the streets will stink to high heaven and have grimy dirty skin and matted hair. 

Once when I was in a City, I walked to get an early morning train through all the centre at 4am - I expected to find many hundreds in doorways and porticos but didn't come accross anyone.

We have a few that sit outside our Tesco, one is a family members BIL. He told her he can earn £100 a day     He lives in a 2 bedroom flat and wears what he calls his work clothes when he goes begging, ie old trainers, dirty clothes as he can get more money like that, 

Work clothes 

He's earning more than the NMW through deception, presumably neither paying his stamp or taxes. That is nothing to be proud of, especially given it blunts charitable giving to people in genuine need that feel they have no choice.

Completely agree here. It's part of the reason I refuse to give money on the streets.

'Can you buy my a coffee?' when getting one (I'm a smoker, it's amazing how many people it's general to talk to outside coffee shops when waiting for someone) is completely different, but doesn't seem to be the way most people work sadly. As someone who still ok on an income/expenditure basis I'll happily buy/give someone food within reason but sadly don't feel comfortable giving cash.

I think I've gone through this before though several times in this thread.

YoungBlueEyes

Same here. I'll happily buy someone some food and a drink, but if they ask for a fiver I say no.

OrkneyStar

Mummy2cheekymonkeys said:

I always seem to have problems with apps refusing to open when at the checkout. If you open your app ie lidl or asda you can take a screenshot of your barcode and save it to your photos. That way if your internet connection isnt working or the app is down for some reason you still have your barcode to scan and get your rewards.

I use a screenshot in Lidl too, just remember to go online and activate new coupons each week/after each shop, and the screenshot works fine. They also told me if you haven't got your phone then they can get it via your phone number (if you are one of the folk who actually remember the number!).

Regarding 'genuine homeless' I am fortunate to live somewhere where there are few beggars (due to geographic location), I don't think that means we have no poverty though! As it is we can all find examples of situations where someone is perhaps 'choosing' to beg or appear homeless, but lets not become so uncompassionate that we don't accept that there are also many genuine homeless people, some who make up part of the hidden homeless. If you don't feel happy 'deciding' how to help, if you are able to help, then there are charities to which you can donate and who are able to help those in need. Let's all remember we don't all have the same choices to begin with. 

arnoldy

If you don't feel happy 'deciding' how to help, if you are able to help, then there are charities to which you can donate and who are able to help those in need

This is the better way, but my advice is to check that CEO pay of the charity first, far too much in UK recently charities have become "industries". Many charities are mere feeders of Government money rather that what we would regard as charities - volunteers and public donations. Some of their behaviours have been astonishing - we have all heard stories of pensioners and venerable people donating money and then ending up on charity mailing lists resulting in them being bled vast amounts of money. 

Donate, but dont assume all charities are the same.

Van_Girl

I think I may have told this story before, but I once came across a "homeless" person begging in our city centre, who on closer inspection turned out to be one of my tenants 

He was rather rude when I called him by name and told him he should probably go back to his recently renovated home