BillyChip (donate hot drinks and pet food without cash)

BillyChip is a safe secure ‘currency’  that can be bought from participating shops, to give to homeless people to pay for a hot drink or meal, or buy pet food. This enables people to help, while following council advice not to give cash (and also reduces robbery risk).

The idea was set up in memory of a young man (who died in a road accident) who volunteered to help homeless people. The scheme is free (shops are just charged for chips sold) and the welcome pack includes 25 Billy Chips, window decals and marketing materials.

Pubs and bars are not allowed to join, so chips can’t be used to buy alcohol.

England has around 250,000 homeless people (including rough sleepers, sofa-surfers and people living in bed-and-breakfasts).  Here are ideas beyond just throwing money at what is a huge issue in society.

Homeless people can claim benefits, giving the address of a family member/friend, hostel or job centre. This helps to pay for food (and pet food), interview clothes and rent deposits. People without bank accounts can use the government’s Payment Exception Service to collect benefits from a local post office or PayPoint outlet.

If you see someone sleeping rough, send a report to StreetLink, whose outreach teams visit rough sleepers at night, to alert them of support to find benefits and accommodation (if the person is under 18, call 999).

Also read about how to help homeless people with dogs.