General Chat

People living on the streets for what ever reasons ,can claim a daily living allowance for food,which is suposed to cover one hot meal and drinks,

Hi TW :-)

I was just putting that forward as an argument :-) of course there will always be a need for the Salvation Army and other charities. (who are there to help those in need)

I googled and found this on Shelter's website:

Just because you're homeless, it doesn't mean you don't have any rights. You may have rights to get help from the council's housing and social work departments. In addition, you will not lose your rights to claim benefits, access medical help, or vote, if you become homeless.

Help from the housing department
Local councils have specific legal duties towards homeless people.

Advice and assistance
The council has to provide advice and assistance to anyone who is homeless or threatened with homelessness and who approaches the council for help.

Temporary accommodation
If you make a homeless application to the council, it has a duty to provide you with temporary accommodation while it investigates your circumstances and decides if it has a duty to offer you permanent accommodation.

If you are entitled to permanent accommodation, you can stay in your temporary accommodation until the council has found you a home. If you are not entitled to permanent accommodation, you should be allowed to stay in your temporary accommodation to give you time to find a new place to live yourself. The council should offer you advice and help to do this.

Talk to an adviser at a housing aid centre or Citizens Advice Bureau if you're not sure of your rights or if the council's housing department is refusing to help you. Use the Advice Services Directory to find help near you.

Help from the social work department
The council's social work department sometimes has duties to help certain groups of people who become homeless. These groups include:

some young people aged under 18
some care leavers or young people about to leave care
people with disabilities
people with mental health problems
older people.
Social work may be able to help families with children but they are not legally obliged to provide accommodation where everyone can live together. If you are in this situation or have problems getting help from social work, get independent advice. Use the Advice Services Directory to find a housing aid centre or Citizens Advice Bureau in your area.

Can I claim benefits?
If you are homeless you are still entitled to claim benefits. If your benefits are paid directly into your bank or post office account, this will continue. If not, you may be able to collect benefit cheques from your nearest DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) or Jobcentre Plus office. Contact your local office to arrange this.

If you are claiming benefits for the first time and you do not have a bank account, you may be able to open an account with the Post Office if you have a forwarding address or an address 'care of' a friend, relative or day centre. If you do not have an address, you should be able to arrange to collect a cheque from your nearest DWP or Jobcentre Plus office.

If you are in a crisis situation, you may also be able to apply for a crisis loan to cover emergency expenses, although you will have to pay this loan back. Whether or not loans are given depends on your situation and the amount of money in the DWP budget.

Contact your nearest Jobcentre Plus office for more information.


http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/getadvice/advice_topics/homelessness/homeless_peoples_rights

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/Dev_008613.xml.html

Lesley, if that were the case, that grants etc were available to homeless people, the Salvation Army would be out of a job. The problem is, it is NOT available, because these people don't fit the criteria. Its the old catch 22, you can't get benefits without an address, you can't get an address without benefits.

Genuinely down and out people deserve to be given a chance, deserve a helping hand. Unfortunately it is those who abuse this, who are on drugs etc, that ruin it for others. Sadly there are more genuine down and outs around than the scroungers and drug addicts on our streets, but how do we tell one from the other?

Yes Ann and it was true.

We can now buy vouchers and give to down and outs, because, if we give money it can go on drugs and booze. So we hope these vouchers will be used for food.

The unfortunate part is, there was a certain man, who had a gang sitting around outside the Churches, begging, and one night a Minister from the Church, could not get his car out, because a car was blocking the way. It was only the chap who was begging. The car was a BMW, and he was getting a good living from having a gang begging for him. Police intervened.

Same as the ones that come round the doors selling dusters. I told one chap who came to door, I did not have a lot of ready cash. He said Ill take a Credit Card. The mind boggles.

Mo

I suppose a church is a natural place to gravitate towards if you are in need.....people always thing of the lesson of the Good Samaritan.

perhaps if the *puposed down and out* had been presented in the church then maybe the congregation would have been more benevelant and swelled his pockets,?

True,I agree,Money isnt always the best thing to give,but Time and food are things everyone can give.

when I worked In Manchester,Many Years ago I got friendly with a guy who would sit outside my shop,he was always asking for money and I always refused,I knew he would spend it on booze,he was an alcoholic,always drunk!
One Day I bought him his breakfast,He was a bit off with me because he wanted the money,but every morning I bought him a breakfast from Mcdonalds,he eventually got use to me buying his breakfast and really looked forward to it.
we became friends,he was a very educated man,he had just had so much tragedy in his life,you just never know what turns a person.
He taught me a great lesson.

if down and outs call at our rectory our lovely vicar gives them sandwiches!!!!

I dont feel ashamed to say that after seeing sryinges I would not have given anything either,

love that story Mo - great one!!

Roxanne, I agree with you in that they shouldn't have told him off and looked down on him.

Best laugh we had at our Church, was when a Gentleman of the Road, asked for money to buy food, As was the policy, someone took the person to a Burger Bar, and bought them a meal. It was our Minister who was going to take him, and he turned round and said, Do you mind if I have Kentucky Fried Chicken, instead of a Burger.

Our Minister wrote to Kentucky Fried Chicken, and said ' Even Tramps prefer KFC'

They sent some vouchers to give to other Ladies and Gentlemen of the Road.

Mo

Roxanne, they are probably keeping their money for the collection plate, where they can be seen by all !!
I think this vicar is great as well!

sorry to stir things up.....what do you think about the argument that people already give a proportion of their wages in taxes/national insurance contributions in order to help vulnerable people in dire need?

Grants, loans, accommodation are available for those in need etc

As TW says, if money is given, it may be spent on drugs, alcohol etc which may possibly hinder the situation??

Red Squirrel,
I can Understand that to see Syringes on the floor would freak me out too!
I think it was more the fact that the guy was Ignored and looked down on rather than the actual giving.

I agree Teresa And Ann:-))
You woud think that the people on their way to church would be feeling especially generous and kind hearted wouldnt you?

Adds quickly....if I am accosted in the street by someone down and out...and it happens, then no, I dont' give, but if someone is obviously in need then I have no problem buying a hot drink and something to eat....and giving them a cigarette if they smoke.

I rarely give money though...its hard to know whether or not it will be spent on food and/or accommodation rather than booze or drugs, and if it was, it wouldn't really be helping them.

I read it and thought good for him - I sincerely hope that I wold not have just passed him by, in fact I know I would not have - once you reach the "bottom" you can only get back up if someone gives you a helping hand and what better place you would think to get a helping hand than outside a church - shame on those so called Christians!!

Roxanne, you don't sound 'holier than thou".....you sound like a good person :-)

On the other hand I honestly think I would have avoided him in light of the syringes lying about him as that would have scared me.

The core of the church's teachings come from the stories about Jesus, and the parables he preached, including the one of the Good Samaritan.....This exercise made it quite clear that congregations who listen so piously and act so 'do-goody' (for want of the right word), really only pay lip service to the lessons taught.

I've always said most churchgoers (not all, many are truly lovely people) are hypocrits of the highest order.