I never give to big issue sellers anymore since the woman who used to sell them in Ilkley was outed for owning her own Mercedes…she has now moved to Ripon.
I give to charity but not on the streets
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they will be there tomorrow and the next day etc - talking about it on here wont fix it so what to do?
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Yes I find that too…it can be really intimidating and certainly encourage anyone to approach them to give them money. I’m sure I read somewhere that they were going to issue card machines to the beggars so that if you said “I have no change”, they could say “I take cards” 
I see however Mups from your opening comments that you were not really asking for a solution just other peoples opinions about how they felt or dealt with it - so you got a result there then!! oops I see baldylegs is back steady mate watch that pacemaker!!
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Me and God have an arrangement Gumbud…I throw all my coins up in the air…
What stays up is his, and what comes down is mine…
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No, I was not asking for solutions at all. I dont know a solution, and merely said some of these people make me feel apprehensive when they seem to watch me. Perhaps women are more aware of these feelings than men.
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I rarely go into our county town anymore because it is so dispiriting to walk around. There are so many empty shops where the doorways have been taken up by these so-called beggars. It used to be such a lovely market town but is now a shambolic mess. Even the churchyard in the town is littered with the debris and detritus of those sleeping rough and drug taking. It’s not as if there are no hostels because there are several in the area to my knowledge. Like others have said, I don’t give money to beggars I would rather support the hostels and food banks so that at the very least I know that my money will be well spent.
I remember many years ago there was an elderly ‘tramp’ who would come into the town - he spent his time wandering the country lanes and would come into town when he was hungry - he was referred to as a ‘gentleman of the road’ but the beggars we see now couldn’t be described as that by any stretch of the imagination.
Margaret, I see you are from the same county as me. Its bad here, isnt it.
A brand new block of flats has been built on the edge of town for the homeless, and they have a night shelter and food banks too.
I just wish they wouldnt hang around doorways.
It is bad Mups and seems to be getting worse too. If I need to use a cash machine I will always use one that is inside because I fear that I might be robbed using one on the street - how dreadful is that?
My husband was mugged in the town about three years ago by one of these people - he was followed into the toilet in the bus station and pushed around, his mobile phone and credit/debit cards were taken. He chose the toilet because there is no CCTV. We were fortunate because the police caught the perpetrator and he was eventually jailed because it wasn’t the first time he had mugged someone. This has made me even more wary - my husband will not go into town at all now.
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I think that is wise, Margaret, not dreadful.
I wont use street machines either.
Your poor hubby. What a frightening experience for him.
and your politicians do nothing??
Not true, Muddy. I help in a Salvation Army centre ( shameless plug, if you have any spare change, please give it to them, every penny will go to people struggling with homelessness at the bottom of the pile)
A big part of the work they do is helping people access services to help them.
But if you do have complex mental problems, or drug or drug addiction keeping it together to access what you’re entitled to can be well nigh impossible and without help they drift out of the system, maybe get benefit sanctions, and end up back out on the streets again
Thing is, if you were the sort of person who could cope with accessing what you’re entitled to, and hostels etc and had the self-discipline to maintain it, you wouldn’t have ended up needing the help in the first place
But beware, you do get semi professional beggars in cities and some of them are ‘farmed’ by gangs, sent out to beg on the streets, then the money take off them. It’s like slavery
Some cities, like Bristol, have points where you can tap your debit card and donate £3 which goes to charities working with homelessness in Bristol.That’s a better way to help
But even though I know it’s against all advice on how to help, I do sometimes give them the price of a cup of coffee. Some of them I recognise from the Salvation Army centre
Never, ever get out your purse or wallet in front of them, though, I carry a little change in my pocket.
some alternative views at last and some good advise too - thanks Maree it’s good to get a balanced view! surely representations can be made to your councillors and local MP’s - it does seem to be a chronic problem but there are always hidden solutions but they must be worked together in hand with local representatives?
That’s right. I AM overly sensitive and extra safe. 
Note: for the record, I’m also very generous. I didn’t say I never give out handouts. I just don’t give them out in places where it’s dangerous to stop. Giving money and donations is something I often do.
I already support The Salvation Army quite substantially Maree they do great work but even they are strict about drug users in hostels .
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Yep! Many of them are merely good actors pretending to be homeless.
We’ve driven past beggars pretending they can’t walk properly and hours later watched them competently walk over to their car and get it.
For some this is just a scam. Another reason why I’m selective who I give my money to.
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I know! I passed a lane once, where a known beggar was getting changed from his designer clothes into a holey dirty t-shirt miles too big for him, an old pair of jogging bottoms, and no shoes. Puts a new meaning on getting dressed for work, eh? 
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It sure does. I don’t judge people harshly who are down on their luck but I completely despise those who use this type of tactic. How do they live with them self? 
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Oh I’m sure they justify it to themselves somehow 
Its like the comment someone made about fancy cars…I made the mistake once of giving some loose change to a female beggar, and noticed her sliding the BMW keys under her mat as I leaned over. 
Nobody can justify that, its outright taking the pi$$ out of genuine people who think they are helping someone going though a tough time in their life.
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Not true. If you do not have an address, you cannot get benefits.