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It seems to have long been forgotten that the Big Issue is meant to be sold by the homeless in order for them to help themselves. It is now sold by people who are not homeless and are on Benefit, many of them foreign. I doubt there is one Big Issue seller in London who isn't on Benefit and who doesn't live in 'temporary accomodation' (meaning they have a roof over their head and hot water 365 nights a year). Bearing that in mind, what is the point of the magazine? All of this information I've known for some time but what has really annoyed me in recent times is the amount of Romanian's in London selling it. People who arrive in the UK without any means of supporting themselves, and a charity has to keep them. That is extremely annoying for the host nation, I mean why come here - or at least when you realise you can't suuport yourself why not leave the country?

That would be an annoying situation for the host nation anyway, but this is EVEN WORSE! These people aren't even homeless!! I work about half a mile from St John's Wood High Street in north London. I live several miles from there. There are two Romanian Big Issue sellers in that part of St John's Wood evey day. One outside Boots, the other outside Tesco's (in Circus Road a few metres from the High Street). They both arrive for 'work' each morning, both cleaning dressed, both have mobile phones, nice watches, both drink huge coffees from Starbucks. You see them shopping for clothes and things locally. At the end of the afternoon they leave - presumably to go home. This is an outrage! I came out of Tesco's after having bought my lunch today and some guy was having a go at the girl seller - all I overheard him say was "its not right, you selling the magazine!". All she said in 'reply' was "Romania" as she can't speak English!

I think this should be stopped, someone should write to The Sun newspaper and press them to do a front page about it. The whole practice will then cease within 24 hours! What are other people's views on this?

* CORRECTION: Second paragraph, third line "..both cleanly dressed.." Typo!

They're not breaking any laws and they're not harming anyone. They're not forcing anyone to buy the magazine. I don't see what the problem is ? I don't see what you're campaigning against.

When you see a Romanian i'd like you too reflect on the poverty they're escaping which the Ceaucescu's did nothing to alleviate. When Ceaucescu and his wife were apprehended they were trying to flee the country with billions of dollars worth of assets. The Ceaucescus were the only Eastern bloc leaders to be executed which tells you something about how rotten they were, and yet you begrudge people clean clothes and a cup of coffee !

No, the clean clothes, coffee, mobile phones etc, is confirmation that they are not broke and are not sleeping in a doorway 7 nights a week - therefore they should not be making money (even if it's only about ?15-?20 a day) from selling a magazine that is meant for people who have no other income and who ARE sleeping in doorways. And also I don't think it's right that people should arrive in a country and be helped in this way - helped by a magazine that is meant for people genuinely in need and who don't have a home and so on. I lived abroad once for a year, and I can tell you that if I had no means of supporting myself I either wouldn't have gone there or when things got tight I would have come home. I can only assume that these two Romanian Big Issue sellers, and there are loads in London, return to a three bedroom semi- in Acton or somewhere, where about 20 of them live, and they'll be some guy who they all work under the instruction of, who will take half their earnings each week to help pay for his Mercedes - a kind of 'gangmaster' operation.

I agree theres one guy in my town who is nice polite english guy who sells it he doesnt ask people to buy it just stands there i buy it and occasionaly buy him coffee or breakfast . Then you get the others who more often or not are foriegners pestering you to death it annoys me as like you i see them in nike trainers named clothes !

All charitys get people trying it on i used to be part of a church believe it or not not mentioning no names but they used to have a breakfast and dinner bar . Which was fine helped alot of people but last year had to close because of ungrateful druggys and others moaning about what food they was serving!


So all things get ruined by the percent of idiots that dont need the help thats just the way it is i have been stopped numerous times for different charitys also i give to 3 already and even though some of those ive been stopped by have badges i sometimes am unsure they are legit.

Same as third world charitys i picked very carefully who i gave too as alot of those are some fat greedy twat taking all the money its neverending .

The point of the magazine is now like any other magazine - to make a profit. Started off with good intentions, but now it's a business or is it a professional charity? - the sort where 90% of the cash goes in admin, wages and expenses.

As far as I am aware a person can earn ?20.00 per week on top of their Benefit if they have NOT paid National Insurance (NI) for 12 clear months immediately prior to going on Benefit. If they HAVE paid NI for 12 clear months for the year prior to going on Beneift, they can earn ?80.00 legally without it affecting their Benefit. I imagine a Big Issue seller who is out selling 5 days a week will earn anything from about ?75-?100 per week. As they are all on Beneift, and as it is very unlikely any would have paid any NI in the year prior to going on Benefit (especially the foreign ones) this amount exceeds what they can earn when you consider the rules regarding this that I've outlined here.

So I'm surprised some of them aren't prosecuted for Benefit fraud. More people should be aware that most, if not all, Big Issue sellers are on Benefit. Many people give them money, without buying the magazine, as they think the person will have no money otherwise and won't be able to eat! This is clearly not the case. I think 500 people sleep rough in Britain each night (200 of them in London), yet there are god knows how many thousands of Big Issue sellers in Britain. In London there are several in every shopping street.

You refer to yourself working in your first message but are you defrauding your employer ? It seems an inordinate amount of your time is spent collecting date on benefit regulations, the numbers of people sleeping rough in the UK and in London, and the movements and refuelling habits of Big Issue vendors.

Since your position is absolutely clear why should I believe that your stats are in any way reliable ie objective ?

I don't spend an inordinate amount of time learning about Benefits and Big Issue sellers. The money a person can earn whilst on Benefit is well known, I think I saw it on Newsnight on BBC2 some time ago. That is just one bit of information I happen to be aware of. Doesn't mean I'm on Benefit myself. And my claim that there are a large number of Big Issue sellers who are Romanian is true. Just look around London. And the two vendors in the area of London where I work ARE both from there. They've been there every day for months.

max_tranmere wrote:

What are other people's views on this?


Complete and utter tosh.



If what you say is happening contact the Big Issue.