Homeless man living in busy British bus stop 'made £140 per day' traffic-light begging

A homeless man in Birmingham has said his world has completely changed since the coronavirus pandemic. The man said he used to make £140 a day begging at traffic lights

A homeless man has said his world was turned upside down following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ricky, from Birmingham, said he would make around £140 every day from begging at traffic lights, but the post-Covid world has changed things. Cash spending is still below pre-pandemic levels, data from UK Finance said earlier this year.

Ricky told Birmingham Live he had been living near living in a disused bus stop, while a friend of his had been near a noisy junction in a pitched tent. According to data released by the Office for National Statistics in 2023, Birmingham is the lower-tier local authority (LTLA) with the highest number of people identified as homeless.

Ricky claimed that homeless shelters, such as Washington Court in the city centre, were "no good" for him as a struggling drug addict. The shelter will close for good in December with the council moving to a different support model.

Ricky, also spoke to YouTube channel Birmz is Grime earlier this year. He said: "I graft on the lights. I've been stuck here for four years doing that to feed my drug habit. Before Covid, I was making £130-£140 [per day]... but I was starting at 5.30am. The road was a hell of a lot busier and I'd be done by nine o'clock.

"I had a bloke who came through every day, I think he was a football manager, he was in a big expensive Range Rover, and he used to give me £20 every day - without fail. [Since Covid] everyone says to get a card reader. Everyone's scared to touch cash. You don't get half as much."

Birmingham Live previously reported the tale of homeless couple living in a doomed bus stop near another major city route. They had raised concerns over the future of their temporary home before it was eventually demolished by Transport for West Midlands.

Birmingham was in the grip of a housing crisis earlier this year with more than 23,000 applicants waiting for a property - including nearly 5,000 households who were homeless and living in temporary accommodation.

On Ricky's plight and homelessness in the city, a Birmingham City Council spokesperson told us: "We're very sorry to hear this and strive to have a city in which every citizen has a safe and affordable home. The council ensures there are outreach workers on the streets of Birmingham day and night, seven days a week, with the offer of accommodation and support to all who need this.

"The services are provided by a strong partnership of city council and voluntary sector agencies. Anyone who is concerned about someone who may be sleeping rough can notify the outreach team via Streetlink and the team will follow up."