# Donations to homeless people reach new low, research suggests

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/12/15/donations-to-homeless-people-reach-new-low-research-suggests/
- Published: 2023-12-15T09:30:00+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Only 4% of Brits gave money to the homeless in 2023, according to research by 
Beam, a social impact start-up supporting homeless people and refugees. **

Its research suggests rates of giving have also declined year on year since 2021:
11% of people reported donating to the homeless in 2021, falling to 9% in 2022. 
Average giving in December has fallen from £9 in 2022 and £7 in 2021 to a new low
of £3, in the month to date this December. 

According to [Beam’s](https://beam.org/) survey of 2,000 adults in the UK conducted
during the first week of December 2023, the reasons for declining giving were: not
carrying cash (34%), the cost of living crisis (31%), unsure of what the money will
be spent on (19%), don’t know enough about the individual (11%), and other causes
being a priority (5%). 

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Beam says the new data highlights the growing impact of a cashless society on giving
as well as the misconception that homeless people are mostly rough sleeping or begging,
when over 80% are in emergency accommodation.  

The average one-off donation to people from individuals using Beam’s crowdfunding
platform since its Christmas 2017 launch is £31.09. It has just launched its “[131,370 Reasons to Act Now](https://beam.org/fundraisers/beam-christmas-appeal)”
campaign. With 131,370 homeless children currently in emergency accommodation in
the UK, Beam is working to raise £131,370 through its platform to support the individuals
and families it is working with to find a safe and stable home.

Alex Stephany, Founder and CEO of Beam commented:

> “This winter, we face a deepening homelessness emergency. Beam’s latest research
> highlights the UK public still holds some outdated beliefs that directly impact
> people’s willingness to support homeless people.
>  
> “Homelessness is one of the biggest social problems of our time and the need has
> never been greater. By backing someone on Beam, people can give transparently 
> as each homeless person has their own budget with costs broken down to the nearest
> pound.”

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