Does Britain Have A 'Fake Homeless' Problem?

Huge problem in London. When I moved out of my flat, I offered to give a homeless guy - who I gave spare change to everyday I passed him outside the tube station - my old pillow (as I had just bought a new one) and his response was ''No mate, I have some in my flat but cheers anyway pal!'' WTF

I literally tried to give a "homeless" guy a box of cookies recently but he refused saying he's not hungry... if you want to know who's really homeless, offer them food! if they don't take it, they also don't need your money

I feel sorry for people who are actually homeless being shadowed over by fake homeless people

How low can someone sink

"If he was homeless he wouldn't cover his face" that's not very fair they might be ashamed

Sadly this is true in some places. My own town ive witnessed with my own eyes, "beggars" getting up and getting in cabs or actually bumped into them working. Its an insult to those who are genuine. I don't give money ill donate to local homeless charities and have worked in soup kitchens before. It is on the rise and its wrong to prey on someones generosity when you are faking it

I was confronted by a guy while I was sitting at the window of a chicken shop having a chicken meal, he asked me for some change, I asked are you hungry he replied spare some change, I said I'll buy you anything you would like to eat, he said spare some Change, I said no and carried on eating, thought I share that...

Mental health is the biggest cause for homeless people you never get the support needed it's a vicious circle

There was once a homeless man near my dad when he was younger, I never met the guy but my Dad told me tales. This was out in the countryside rather than a town or city so that was a little unique. The homeless man was more like a hermit in reality and reputedly to live in nearby caves and was able to forage for some of his food and had a particular favourite bench drenched in sunlight during the summer where he would sit and greet any passersby kindly. He didn't really beg but wouldn't refuse if someone wanted to share a picnic and was known in the local villages as a nice guy that locals need not be afraid of and over the years the man was considered part of the community despite not actually living in the dwellings there. As was inevitable one day the man passed away but the local villages all pulled together to arrange a proper funeral and the local church donated a plot.

They said I could become anything when I grow up So I became a professional beggar

There was one guy who was pleasant enough, always sat at the same place. Kept giving money because I thought he was an alright guy. Went to a pub far enough from where he usually sat, and there he was with another "homeless guy", new clothes, buying booze, eating dinner, carrying bags with their "homeless attire". Surprisingly, they were never the ones out on the streets come night time, in the cold like some others were. (This was in Canterbury). Ever since then, I have been reluctant to give people money. I have met a genuinely homeless guy in London though, guy slept under the bridge around Kings Cross, ended up being turfed out. Approached me early morning (about 2am), broke down crying when I not only gave him money, but asked him about his circumstances. Apparently security kept getting him to move around that day, and I was the first guy to ask him how he felt. He and I had a talk for about 5-10 minutes about him losing his house and being treated poorly by security. Didn't ask me for any more money the whole time whilst we were talking and he told me he had some issues. Guys like that suffer from these fake beggars who don't help with the stigma around homelessness.

I have witnessed fake beggars, saw one getting into his BMW, he got changed first and put his dirty clothes in the boot, he makes between a 1000 and 1500 a week, pretending to be an homeless ex service man in the paras, he has since been arrested. There's loads of fake beggars in Leeds one guy has 2 Akita dogs and he gets loads of money then goes home to his house, I tried talking to him about it and he starts getting abusive. These parasites make it harder for real homeless people to get by.

If there were no real homeless, there wouldn't be fake ones. Invest more in housing and help them get the real ones off the streets, that is the real problem. In a modern society homelessness simply shouldn't exist. This makes me sad, really does

There's a "homeless" guy near where I live. He sits outside the local Tesco express and begs every day, before getting on his bike and riding down the road to his flat.

I live in Liverpool and this guy had set up tent city right outside the main Halifax branch in town, always wondered if they where digging a tunnel.

I lived in Liverpool for three years and the amount of empty housing stock in that city is crazy. I've never understood why there are so many homeless people in a city, when there are literally rows and rows of streets of empty houses. It baffles me

There is a young guy who sits outside my local tescos begging. He has ok clothes and his hair looks well kept. Ive given him change, had a few conversations with him about skateboarding (he has a skateboard with him) and bought him pasta which he asked for. I assumed he was homeless or at least unemployed and struggling. Then one day i see him working in a high end patty shop in central london. Our eyes met and he shat himself. Ive seen him once since and he looked panicked. Will be confronting him next time. This is a real problem. Ask people about their situations before you give them money.

Go london they are everywhere.

My mate met a guy begging in Temple Bar Ireland. She asked him why he doesn't get a job and his reply was he made about a grand a week begging.

I live in London, and it is absolutely terrible. Every day I see about 10 beggars down my high street on my way to school. Even today, my mum was approached by a man who fakes his disability, and goes up to cars on the motorway begging.