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What's the proper way to deal with someone begging?

I walked through my local highstreet, for the most part I spend my time walking around with earphones in.
Anyways one woman spotted me coming and attempted to ask me for money, I chose to ignore her.
The second woman less than 5ft away tried the same thing.

I do feel guilty as i feel like if I give to one I have to give to them all.

What bothers me is that here in the uk, you can claim benefits.
But I worry these people are not here legally.
And I worry if I stop and talk someone might mugg me.

I'm not judging, I just avoid talking to them because on another seperate occasion recently one woman swore at me for saying I no longer walk with change, which since the pandemic is true.

😔

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bijouxbroussard · F

I don’t give change to anyone anymore. People ask for "spare change", which as a retiree I don’t have. Nothing is "spare" anymore. I used to carry cards with the number and address of the shelter where I’ve volunteered for many years. When people asked for food I’d hand them a card. Often I was helping in the kitchen so I knew they’d be fed. I would occasionally see them later and serve them food. Other times they’d just tear up the card. Their choice.

After years of volunteering up close and personal, I can say this, without judging; some are good people who are down on their luck, but not dangerous. This is a temporary setback for them. Others suffer from severe mental illness, and may be self-medicating with drugs or alcohol to cope. They’re not bad people either, but they’re troubled and can be unpredictable. A third category are the scammers, usually not homeless at all, but preying on the generosity or guilt of others. They don’t wear signs, alas, so you never know. Best to do what you’re doing, don’t engage. Sorry for the lengthy post. 😊