Big Issue sellers.

[100milesaway]

When the big issue sellers first started up, I was led to believe that they bought their copies and sold them for twice the amount paid thus making themselves officially self employed.They would only be allowed to do this for six months but then would be allowed to sign on or  draw every benifit that a normal British tax payer would be entitled to. This at the time, I felt was very unreasonable as being self employed all my working life I had never been able to claim a penny even sick pay when I  broke my leg., * I  drove for a living*  Now as I  see the same people are been selling The B I for at least 10 years in many Northern towns and villages. Maybe someone could enlighten me on the rules of this set up are the new recruits franchised to the old hands and do they still get the same benifits as before. A very good way to get your friends and families on the gravy train or am I  just being cynical. I have only ever seen foreign folks selling these  publications, again why I  haven't a clue. As i said this scenario is what I have been led to be fact and would love to know what the real story is behind the scenes.

From Auntie.

 

Edited December 3, 2021 by 100milesaway

[sam triple]

I’m very cynical too ,but from my experience if you’ve paid in all of your life and never claimed you won’t get a penny when you need a helping hand from the government, we also have BI sellers around here also foreign and have and will never buy a copy , I’ve nothing against those that actually work , I work with 2 polish lads and they’re great , but selling the BI looks like doing the minimum to claim god knows what else from the government 

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, a few years ago I spoke to a B I seller from Slough (Romanian ) selling in Newbury and she had to pay for the papers at cost and sell on to make a profit, she claimed all the benefits and fares, John Bird set it up with a friend and loan from The Body Shop foundation I believe , £50,000 in 1991, after seeing paper sellers in the USA ,(Google info) he now sits in the House of Lords , not bad for a paper seller, 

[hodge911]

In my local shopping precinct there's an eastern European woman who plays a squeeze box (VERY BADLY I'VE HEARD FIGHTING CATS SOUND BETTER) and begs on numerous occasions over the 2 years she's been there I've actually witnessed a 2yr old mercedes car pull up 2 E/E guys get out and go to her speak in Thier language and then take all the money from her bag leaving a few coins in the tin in front of her . 

 

[oldypigeonpopper]

20 minutes ago, hodge911 said:

In my local shopping precinct there's an eastern European woman who plays a squeeze box (VERY BADLY I'VE HEARD FIGHTING CATS SOUND BETTER) and begs on numerous occasions over the 2 years she's been there I've actually witnessed a 2yr old mercedes car pull up 2 E/E guys get out and go to her speak in Thier language and then take all the money from her bag leaving a few coins in the tin in front of her . 

 

More than likely have her passport to, 

[ehb102]

It seems that your big issue 😄 is that the self employed Big Issue sellers can claim the same amount of benefits as anyone else who is self employed. If you aren't allowed to claim it, they aren't allowed to claim it. And if you can make it through the system to claim housing benefit or a State pension, good luck to you.

There isn't a time limit on how long you can sell the Big Issue any more, the charity highlights that whilst social mobility is their aim for many of their vendors, some are simply trying to stay afloat and taking away their stability actually undoes the work that is been done. I think if someone has stayed self employed for ten years then they are obviously achieving their aims. 

[henry d]

8 hours ago, 100milesaway said:

would love to know what the real story is behind the scenes.

Google is your friend

[Cranfield]

This is a classic case (loophole) , where a fair law/rule exists, but is abused, because nobody is "policing" it.
There are loads of examples of this, escooters on the road being the recent one.

 

Remember, the last thing the BI Seler wants is for you to buy and take a copy, a lot only have a few copies for advertising purposes.

[henry d]

1 hour ago, hodge911 said:

In my local shopping precinct there's an eastern European woman who plays a squeeze box (VERY BADLY I'VE HEARD FIGHTING CATS SOUND BETTER) and begs on numerous occasions over the 2 years she's been there I've actually witnessed a 2yr old mercedes car pull up 2 E/E guys get out and go to her speak in Thier language and then take all the money from her bag leaving a few coins in the tin in front of her . 

 

Wow! I presume that you told the police?

[harrycatcat1]

8 hours ago, 100milesaway said:

When the big issue sellers first started up, I was led to believe that they bought their copies and sold them for twice the amount paid thus making themselves officially self employed.They would only be allowed to do this for six months but then would be allowed to sign on or  draw every benifit that a normal British tax payer would be entitled to. This at the time, I felt was very unreasonable as being self employed all my working life I had never been able to claim a penny even sick pay when I  broke my leg., * I  drove for a living*  Now as I  see the same people are been selling The B I for at least 10 years in many Northern towns and villages. Maybe someone could enlighten me on the rules of this set up are the new recruits franchised to the old hands and do they still get the same benifits as before. A very good way to get your friends and families on the gravy train or am I  just being cynical. I have only ever seen foreign folks selling these  publications, again why I  haven't a clue. As i said this scenario is what I have been led to be fact and would love to know what the real story is behind the scenes.

From Auntie.

 

 

[tonyshooter]

I regularly give a B I seller ( outside my local Aldi ) a good few quid, and I dont take the magazine from him.

I have been fortunate in life and if I can help anyone I will, irrespective of their circumstances.

 

[Vince Green]

Its the same as Uber drivers, pizza drivers and some parcel deliverers they claim to only work 16 hours a week and that is some sort of magic key that unlocks the benefits door for them. Its a loophole to get working tax credits.

Of course nobody knows how many hours they really work

Also its illegal to beg but big issue sellers seem to be tolerated. I can't imagine anybody actually buys a copy because they want to read it.

Edited December 3, 2021 by Vince Green

[old man]

What's not to see, Politicians ripping the rear end out of the system, plebs think ok good enough for me and so it is?

[Aled]

Vince: When i worked for a housing association i read the Big Issue.  It was relevant to my work. 

Edited December 3, 2021 by Aled

[mel b3]

1 hour ago, henry d said:

Google is your friend

This is the way that I have always understood it . It's the way that it  was explained to me years ago by someone that I used to buy the BI from.

My feelings are , fair play to them , I would much rather that my tax monies went towards helping someone that was helping to drag themselves out of poverty and homelessness,  rather than a life long dole dosser that never has ,  or ever will ,  put any effort into helping themselves. 

[old man]

30 minutes ago, mel b3 said:

This is the way that I have always understood it . It's the way that it  was explained to me years ago by someone that I used to buy the BI from.

My feelings are , fair play to them , I would much rather that my tax monies went towards helping someone that was helping to drag themselves out of poverty and homelessness,  rather than a life long dole dosser that never has ,  or ever will ,  put any effort into helping themselves. 

Amen to that Sir.

[loriusgarrulus]

I would sooner they make some attempt at earning a living than the ones who claim every benefit going and only get out off their pit to sign on.

[henry d]

8 hours ago, old man said:

What's not to see, Politicians ripping the rear end out of the system, plebs think ok good enough for me and so it is?

Why stop there? Ghost businesses and Covid pay outs, Amazon etc...

[old man]

19 hours ago, henry d said:

Why stop there? Ghost businesses and Covid pay outs, Amazon etc...

No intention to limit my personal opinion henry. Unfortunately the very worst offenders don't have to be subject to street rules? I think a few months experience of having to sell the BI would enhance their lives immeasurably? Mine too.

[Rob85]

One of the sunday newspapers done one of their investigative journalism bits on the crowds of them that throng belfast city centre selling things. What they observed and found out was a whole crowd were being brought up from Dublin in Mercedes people carriers first thing in the morning, dumped off to sell their magazines or...... in the case of one I walked past myself.... plain beg for money while holding an almost newborn for added guilt tripping.

I think the consensus was that these were likely people who were trafficked and were now working off their debts to the traffickers. Interestingly it was observed it wasn't actually the big issue they sold but some other rubbish called "the issue"

[WalkedUp]

In Liverpool the Big Issue was / is a cartel used to sell heroin. I am happy to donate to homeless charities but never beggars.

[100milesaway]

Thanks for everyones take on this, seems like I  am not on my own with my thoughts.The goal posts must obviously have moved as when i was starting out as a self employed person, I was not allowed to claim anything. Interesting, as I have  also seen large expensive cars picking up the seller's. 

From Auntie.

[vmaxphil]

Interestingly readly magazine subscription service has the big issue on their platform 

[WalkedUp]

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/oct/18/pressandpublishing.homelessness

[countryman]

Foreign lady in my local town has been selling them for years, she is pregnant nearly every year, so they must be a good earner.