Welfare changes and increasing destitution have likely led to a rise in begging in Glasgow City centre according to a council report

A council survey carried out over summer months spotted hundreds of cases of begging in Glasgow‘s city centre streets.

Officials said the motivations of beggars in Glasgow is need not greed and said benefit changes may be a significant factor in the numbers who are on the streets asking for cash.

A report by Community Safety Glasgow, seen by the Evening Times, found 338 cases of begging spotted by city centre response teams and mobile CCTV staff over a five month period.

The council said it is looking at a strategy for dealing with begging, but one which recognised the complex issues.

The report titled ‘The nature and scale of begging in Glasgow City Centre’ said for a number of years there has been street begging in the city centre and they fall into two categories, indigenous beggars and Eastern European migrants.

The survey found that three quarters were Scottish or British and one on four were other EU nationals.

Over the last year it said the City centre Response Team engaged with more than 800 cases of begging in the main city centre streets.

The most common streets were Gordon Street and Union Street around Central Station, Royal Exchange Square and the ‘Style Mile’ Streets of Argyle Street, Buchanan Street and Sauchiehall Street.

It said there is no definitive link with people who are homeless or roofless.

In the report for the City Centre Strategy board, Eileen Marshall, Director of Community Safety Glasgow, said: “The main cause of begging is extreme poverty, it is a response to poverty not a lifestyle choice for the majority of those involved.

“The causes of street begging, or the extent to which Glasgow has been affected, may be due to welfare benefit changes and increasing destitution.”

The council said it is looking at ways of dealing with begging in the city centre but will include third sector organisations and a range of other agencies.

It has looked at examples form other cities and has concluded that a heavy handed response is not the answer.

The report stated: “Evidence drawn from across the UK demonstrates that where enforcement has been used it has often been unsuccessful in effectively dealing with begging.”

Instead the council said it would look to begin a public awareness campaign to “encourage a greater understanding of service available for vulnerable and homeless people”.

Grant Campbell, Chief Executive of Glasgow City Mission which runs a winter night shelter and deals with many people who have experience of begging said every case is a sign of brokenness.

He said: “A lot of the people we work with will have a history of begging for their drug of choice.

“They are making enough money to cope with their addiction day to day. Food can be provided by other services.

“There are complexities behind every story.”

The council doesn’t have powers to move on or detain people who are begging, only the police have powers over it.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “We are working with partners to research the many complex causes of begging in the city centre.

“The consultation behind this report is just one part of that work. It is undoubtedly the case that many people who beg are vulnerable and our aim is to determine how best to get people to accept the help on offer.

“ Food, shelter and medical advice are all available, and we are working with a range of statutory and voluntary providers to support those who are begging, and may have chaotic lifestyles and addiction issues, to take up that assistance.”