Should you give money to beggars?

Say you're out and about, and you see a man in a doorway, arms oustretched, asking you to spare some change.

What do you do?

There is a huge amount of conflicting advice, which polarises those who are in agreement on many other subjects.  Some say that if you give money, you're a mug fuelling a drug habit or perpetuating a sham lifestyle; others say that if you don't, you have no compassion.

So I want to know: what do you do?

From a brief glance at a variety of articles on the subject, I have established the following points both for and against giving money.

Reasons NOT to give money to beggars:

- They will potentially spend it on drugs, alcohol or cigarettes rather than food, clothes etc

- It may perpetuate a begging lifestyle, rather than forcing them to find a route out of their situation (such as by selling the Big Issue, which I've written about here: http://goodliving-blog.blogspot.com/2010/07/big-issue.html). 

- There is the possibility that, if you give money to a beggar, you are giving money to a fraud who doesn't actually need the money.  In my opinion this is a grave crime because it casts doubt over the many genuinely needy people there are.

- It could be said it is better to give to homelessness charities such as Shelter, who will give the appropriate assistance by means such as providing food, shelter and assistance in finding housing and employment.

Reasons TO give money to beggars:

- For some people, it is the only option other than to descend into crime

- It could be argued that whatever they spend it on is their own choice.  There is nothing to say that if you give money to your plumber, or bartender, or accountant, that he or she will not spend it on drugs and alcohol.  I know that the problem is more rife among the homeless population than elsewhere; but it is patronising to say that, just because someone is poor, he or she cannot be responsible for spending responsibly. 

- Giving to beggars and giving to charity are not mutually exclusive.

- Although there are some frauds, is it not better to lose some money to a few of those, than risk allowing the genuinely needy to go without?

- 'There but for the grace of God (or Fate) go I...'  This saying is particularly true during today's troubled financial times, when we are all having to tighten our belts.  Remember there are always people worse off.

- By not giving to beggars, we are showing a level of callousness that damages self esteem, confidence etc as well as finances.  How would you feel?

And me? You've probably guessed from my ever-so-slightly biased account that I am in favour of giving. 

However, I am not 100% decided.  I hate the idea of giving money to people which they will ultimately spend on a habit which is ruining their lives. 

I suppose I have to be honest and say, generally, I use my wildly prejudiced and incorrect impression of people to determine whether they are genuine or not.  A terribly misguided way of doing things, but the only way I have. 

At the same time, I buy the Big Issue whenever I can, which I think should be the natural option for many homeless people.

So let me know - what do you do? What are your thoughts?  Answers on a postcard :-)

The Big Issue

I’ve been focusing on environmental issues so far (as an environmental student I have to admit to a special interest in environmental topics) but I wanted to branch away for today to another topic I am interested in: homelessness.

It’s an extraordinarily broad and complex subject that I couldn’t possibly scratch the surface of in one post (or even several). So I wanted to take a look specifically at The Big Issue.

For anyone who doesn’t know, the Big Issue is a magazine that is bought by homeless people and sold on the street for a profit.

In my opinion it is one of the best social business initiatives ever embarked upon and helps bridge that gap between homelessness and reintegration into society.

The problem is usually that you can’t get a job without an address, but you can’t get an address without a job. So selling the Big Issue provides that vital mid step of earning an income and gaining self respect. Without it, there would be little to do for homeless people other than beg – and I can’t begin to imagine what a miserable existence that would be.

So what I want to know is: how often do people buy the Big Issue? And if you don’t, do you acknowledge the vendor or hurry on past? (I’m not judging – everyone has to make their own decisions regarding these things.)

Also, if you have bought it, what do you think of the content? The Big Issue has been criticised for being too commercial in content and appearance, but in my opinion, the better the magazine is, the more people will want to buy it – and who can argue with that?

Finally, before I go, if you want to make a donation to the Big Issue Foundation (which helps homeless people find their feet, obtain housing and generally reintegrate into society) you can donate here: http://www.bigissue.com/Support_Us_7.php

Or if you want to do one thing today that helps another person, spend a couple of quid by buying The Big Issue.  Not only will it help someone in ways most of us cannot imagine, I promise you it'll give you a warm glow. 

Thanks for your time :)