Do you have some evidence to support any of this? Sounds like a collection of easy to repeat lines... I say this because I have actually tried to get a homeless person into a shelter once, only to be told that half them were closed down due to funding cuts, the rest needed a lengthy referral procedure or a £20 payment for the night - aka a normal hostel. And all this was possible because I had a smartphone on me with internet to look up and call various places. A homeless person without such access has very little chance!

Several of our customers (IT projects) are organisations for homeless. So I can tell you they do exist. Two types of referral exist: from the council, or a walk in from the street. There are also numerous TV shows that document the process. Sometimes it is called "sheltered housing" other times "homeless hostel" and other times "emergency accommodation". It is effectively all the same thing.

Like I said "living rough" i.e. the stereotypical homeless person is basically not a real thing in the UK. They do it because they either choose to do so or have other mental or social problems that prevent them from seeking free help.

>the stereotypical homeless person is basically not a real thing in the UK. They do it because they either choose to do so or have other mental or social problems that prevent them from seeking free help.

I don't know what fantasy world you're living in, but in London homelessness is very real and very present. Go take a walk through the city at night, it's eye-opening.

I've noticed it has become considerably worse (by number of homeless) over the past year or so.

But you've quoted me entirely out of context? That's not very nice. Worse than Diane Abott on Question Time last week.

I've edited my post to include the context-- but my point stands. I just don't believe that most homeless are incapable of finding shelter, let alone choosing to be on the streets.

But still your point is what? I said clearly that they don't want help not that they are incapable.

> Food bank use is increasing out of certain social classes realising there is free food on offer. Rough sleeping is by choice in the UK;

That is unsubstantiated opinion (to put it mildly), and does not even address the main point that these examples are intended to show: inequality is growing, and that this causes problems, or that the statement "living standards are better" is not true for many people.

While your statements might resonate with a certain mean-spirited kind of person, they don't even make logical sense - Do you really think that food bank use is increasing because "certain social classes" have found them all of a sudden? Why now? What other forces might be at play at this time that caused it to happen now not 10 years ago? Are there gourmet buffets on offer that weren't there before perhaps?