Donate contactless with Tap London

I'd rather our government would use our taxes to not leave the most vulnerable behind. The right to shelter is a human right. Any nation that calls itself a world leader, should work out how to shelter its vulnerable. Fix the benefit system, fix the disaster that is universal credit, end austerity. Stop relying on private charity - use our taxes to take care of us.

A good idea, but it would be even better if my card and donation could be linked to a registered charity so they can claim the tax via gift aid.

I think this is a really good way of contributing and will do so the next time we are in London 

I had not heard of it but it is not a bad idea. For myself I already give a lot to charities and I try to do it in a structured way involving discussions with my family. I would probably use the tap device but I would have to be sure it was going to some cause we agree with. And we would probably give if there were a particular emergency issue.

It's a scam. It takes responsibility away from national and local governments prioritising their exchequer spending on this dire problem of the homeless, and by inference on mental health, drug addition and other accruing issues as well that are recognised within 'homelessness'. Instead, we have our heartstrings snidely tugged and the public is encouraged to cough up yet again to assist with politics dressed up as a charity issue. E.g. ditch Trident, and aid to dodgy regimes where the dough goes into the dictator's pockets, and there'll be plenty of 'charity' to help the homeless.

I met a traveller from an antique land,

Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

And on the pedestal, these words appear:

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Shelley Ozymandias

Quite frankly I despair at many of the contributions on here. This initiative will not make a blind bit of diference. What is needed  as Pip1 points out, is a reform of the private housing market. For me it is about time that the Mayor of London, and the Labour Party, for that matter  (homelessness is a national problem after all) inscribed on their banner "Housing is a social utility, not a means of private investment". In other words, the rents and conditons of tenure in the private sector should be made comparable to those still available, just about, to council tenants. Council housing should be treated as the model to follow, rather than the poor relation of the private sector. On top of this, local councils should have the power to sequester properties left vacant longer than six months.Of course, what might be called "The Daily Mail Lobby, ideologically speaking. would howel with fury at the prospect at such measures. It is about time the Left were prepared to argue back in kind. There are votes to be had here, after all.Homelessness has to attacked via state action not treated as  source of individual charity.

Seems like a good idea, but may agitate many of the homeless I've encountered who have refused food bought for them and would only take cash to do with as they pleased. I agree that working with select hostels to set up funds with daily spending limits available to people who do use them might work.

It would be great if users of the tap scheme could register so that charities get full tax benefits from the donation.

I've encountered many homeless people on the tube recently walking through the train asking for cash - and the subsequent annoucenments from TFL about how it's illegal to beg on the underground - A 1p donation on Oyster and contactless payments could net £50,000 a day which could go towards helping people - two-plus journeys every day would only cost the average commuter under £10 a year. Put up some posters, make it opt in, and make a difference!

Yes, I think it's a good idea, providing the machines are in shopping centres or banks.  I'm not happy with them in the street for security reasons.  I'd like to see more around Kings Cross and the Angel, especially in shops, restaurants and supermarkets.  It would be good to know how much percentage goes to charities and how much is taken to install and maintain the machines.

I think it is a good idea in principle. Can I suggest that they are located inside high foot fall partners locations like supermarket entrances, sandwich shops and shopping malls with some sort of location marketing to draw them to people's attention. I also think they could be spread across the whole of London rather than just the centre.

i hope the money will help deal with the situation, although I am also sure it will not 'solve' the problem as people will continue to become roofless for a variety of reasons.

I hadn't heard of this before and I think its a good idea if  all the money is going to help the homeless , rather than a large percentange going on admin.
i wouldn't use it myself for the same reason that I wont sign up with charities that ask you to sign up to in the street, its open to fraud. Also the people hassling you get paid a lot when that money should be used for the charities.

The locations of the Tap Points appear to be largely in central locations likely to be frequented by better off citizens (who eat out and drink). Perhaps it is right to target those best able to afford it but surely a greater take up would be secured by placing the points where there is a greater throughput of a wider population. The obvious location would be rail and tube stations which see millions pass through each day, where people are getting out their contactless payment devices out anyway, and where hot spots of homelessness are often located. It would have been useful to have shown a picture of a Tap Point to introduce the discussion. I searched and found one on the window of City Hall. Having seen this one, and assuming the other are similar, I was less concerned that the points would be quickly vandalised and left as new eyesores (as has happened with other public kiosk facilities). Would I use one? Possibly now that I have been alerted to them via this article but most definitely not if I just walked by one - I just don't think they would jump out at me.  This initiative does seem to be linkec closely to the Mayor of London's office but my biggest concern with homeless charities is their disparate nature which does a little bit here and a bit there meaning that help is often temporary. This is one are where a coordinated response from central and local government is preferable to the whims of lcoal charity.

Great idea, better than giving to beggars, if so many charities are involved.

Great idea which I had not heard of before.  Yes I would Tap - each time I was asked in person.  I will locate the nearest points.  I want to help - and want assurance that there is some governance to manage my contribution.  Please publicise the work of this scheme, and provide a way for us to GiftAid it.

Great idea but more 'Tap London' points required in West London.