A man rattles his cup full of change at shoppers walking by. It’s raining in Bolton so no one will stop, most hurrying past under their umbrellas and big coats.
It’s a familiar sight for those who visit the town often. But locals say begging has skyrocketed in recent months – with many believing it’s simply a sign of the times.
“We see four different people sat outside the supermarket throughout the course of the day,” Angela Hunt says as she strolls through the town centre.
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“I feel sorry for them because they’re friendly. One of them said 'it’s just getting worse'.”
In Bolton, the town hall says it has been providing comprehensive cost-of-living support and guidance, and encourages people to support the local initiative Hope for Change rather than give money to people directly.
The council says it believes the 'majority' of people begging have somewhere to live, but may instead be dealing with mental health issues or addiction.
But homeless charities see cost-of-living pressures, mental health and addiction, rough sleeping, homelessness and begging as linked.
And in England as a whole, the number of rough sleepers is on the up. Recent data recorded there were 7,236 people estimated to be sleeping rough over the month of June 2023 – a massive 30 per cent increase compared to last year.
The number of households living in temporary accommodation in England are also at an all-time high.
As of March 2023, 104,510 households were living in temporary accommodation - including 65,000 households with children - as the cost-of-living crisis took hold.
But Angela and her husband Ron are struggling themselves. The couple, from Great Lever, say they’ve cut back on everything to ensure they can afford their utility bills.
There are times when the dire situation reduces Angela to tears. “Some days it just drives me up the wall,” the 60-year-old told the Manchester Evening News. “Sometimes I sit down crying my eyes out.
“It’s awful. We’re struggling. I’m only on PIP; I get £270 a month. How am I meant to survive?
“I can’t see it getting better anytime soon, it’s dragged on for too long.”
Ted Casey tries to help out when he can. “If people come up to me asking if I’ve got any change, I can’t say no,” the 55-year-old said. “If they’re homeless, I want to help.
“My heart bleeds for the people who are genuinely homeless. I saw a chap before who didn’t look homeless but he was asking for money. I can't give it to everyone.”
Meanwhile, William Warren, 62, believes there has also been a rise in shoplifting as people are pushed to desperation.
“It’s very expensive,” the dad-of-six told the MEN. “There are too many homeless people. There’s more begging, there’s more shoplifting, there are more people on the streets.”
Responding to the rise in rough sleeping across the country, Rick Henderson, chief executive at Homeless Link, said: “People are being let down by systems that should protect them, forced onto the streets at the expense of their physical and mental health.
“At the same time, continuing financial pressures mean hundreds of homelessness services across the country are on the brink of closing down, risking leaving people experiencing homelessness with nowhere to turn.”
Against this backdrop, Crisis chief executive Matt Downie fears legal crackdowns on begging - which could follow from central government's Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan - can disproportionately impact vulnerable groups and push people to the fringes of society.
“Criminalising people who are sleeping rough or begging is not the answer to tackling rough sleeping which the government knows full well,” he said.
“The real focus should be supporting people into safe accommodation, so they can rebuild their lives away from the streets.
“Instead of focusing on punitive measures, the Westminster government should get on with building more truly affordable housing, providing wraparound support services and investing in housing benefit so people can pay their rent. Taking these steps would ensure we can end rough sleeping for good."
Meanwhile in Bolton, the council has teams on the streets every day, offering shelter and support to people sleeping rough.
“While the national and local picture remains challenging, we have an offer of support and an offer of accommodation for everyone willing to accept it," a spokesperson said.
"Our outreach teams are out every day making that offer.”
On begging, the authority added: “The council has a team of officers who engage directly with those begging in the town centre, offering guidance and directing people to support services.
“We do know that the majority of people who beg in Bolton town centre have somewhere to live but may instead be dealing with other issues such as addiction or mental health problems.
“Rather than giving money directly, the public are encouraged to donate to Hope for Change, a local initiative which funds charities providing vital frontline services.
“The council has also worked closely with partners across the borough to develop comprehensive cost-of-living support and guidance, covering housing, energy bills, financial advice, and more. More information is available at bolton.gov.uk/costofliving.”
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm1hbmNoZXN0ZXJldmVuaW5nbmV3cy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2dyZWF0ZXItbWFuY2hlc3Rlci1uZXdzL3Rvd24tbmV3LWJlZ2dhci1hcHBlYXJzLWV2ZXJ5LTI4MDgxNDQ30gFvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWFuY2hlc3RlcmV2ZW5pbmduZXdzLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvZ3JlYXRlci1tYW5jaGVzdGVyLW5ld3MvdG93bi1uZXctYmVnZ2FyLWFwcGVhcnMtZXZlcnktMjgwODE0NDcuYW1w?oc=5
2023-11-18 07:27:00Z
CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm1hbmNoZXN0ZXJldmVuaW5nbmV3cy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2dyZWF0ZXItbWFuY2hlc3Rlci1uZXdzL3Rvd24tbmV3LWJlZ2dhci1hcHBlYXJzLWV2ZXJ5LTI4MDgxNDQ30gFvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWFuY2hlc3RlcmV2ZW5pbmduZXdzLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvZ3JlYXRlci1tYW5jaGVzdGVyLW5ld3MvdG93bi1uZXctYmVnZ2FyLWFwcGVhcnMtZXZlcnktMjgwODE0NDcuYW1w
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