We train our staff so that they can give harm reduction advice to people with drug and alcohol addictions. What is the employment status of vendors? Big Issue in the North vendors are self employed.
Vendors can earn an income whilst gaining valuable social and transferable business and financial skills. Working as a vendor is fully flexible, so vendors can sell on their pitches any time of day, working their own hours, as their own boss to earn as much as they can.
Big issue sellers buy their product from The Big Issue Company and then sell it on at a profit and keep that profit. They also have to sign up to a code of conduct. In my view that is earnings for work done under a contract and liable for income tax and national insurance like any other form of earnings.
How much does a Vendor make at The Big Issue in the United Kingdom? Average The Big Issue Vendor yearly pay in the United Kingdom is approximately £33,117, which is 11% above the national average.
Big Issue vendors are self employed. They buy the magazine at a cheaper price than they sell it. Aside from your implied criticism of their job, that vendors are either homeless or vulnerably housed will not be a great selling point to prospective employers.
As The Big Issue aims to empower people through employment, it's good manners to take the magazine and not see your contribution as just a donation. Plus, the magazine is produced by professional journalists and is a good read.
While a third of our vendors are homeless, the majority are not – people sell Big Issue North for a wide variety of reasons, and if you want to work with us, we want to work with you!
The Big Issue is a con. It may not have started that way, but for the last fifteen years, while I have been aware of it, it has been. It is successful because it has a great narrative – buy a magazine and help someone off the street. A simple message – but a complete load of rubbish for many reasons.
Big Issue vendors are either homeless or at risk of losing their home. The money that vendors earn through selling the magazine helps vendors to cover rent and bills. It also offers vendors who are unable to maintain other jobs, due to mental health or other issues, the opportunity to earn their own income.
Can people selling the magazine claim benefits? Yes, like anyone self employed, vendors can claim a range of in work benefits such as Housing Benefit. We ask all vendors to inform the benefits office as soon as they sign up to sell The Big Issue in the North. How long can people sell the magazine for?
Each vendor is given a Photo I.D Badge and are given a pitch. Vendors have two weeks to buy a Big Issue red tabard which costs £15, this is refundable when they decide to move on.
We're relying on cash less than ever before, and the EQ Foundation has joined with the Big Issue to offer contactless card readers to all its vendors. London is now a largely cashless society and most other UK towns are fast following suit. In recent years, contactless has become king.
We do not buy back unsold copies. Many people facing extreme exclusion spend a lot of their time on their own, looking inward & struggling to connect to the world.
Some 2.2 million magazines were sold in 2022, earning Big Issue vendors a collective profit of £3.76 million. The figures come as the organisation launched its first ever national vendor week to celebrate enterprising vendors, their lives and work, featuring a special edition including vendors' personal stories.
Over the Christmas period, vendors bought Big Issue North from our regional offices for £2 per magazine, and sold it to readers for £4, keeping the money they make. This means that vendors get £2 in their pocket for every magazine they sell – an extra 50p compared to the previous prices.
The Big Issue is one of the UK's leading social businesses and exists to offer homeless people, or individuals at risk of homelessness, the opportunity to earn a legitimate income, thereby helping them to reintegrate into mainstream society. It is the world's most widely circulated street newspaper.
Of the 3,500 vendors currently registered by the Big Issue, 25 per cent are Romanian or Roma, 66 per cent British and the remainder other nationalities.
To save time and money, it is common for large families in which multiple members sell Big Issue North to pool financial resources to purchase a car, which one member can then use to buy everyone's magazines for the week and to drive their partner, siblings, parents, children, cousins, aunts or uncles who also sell the ...
Vendors who sell The Big Issue magazine are their own mini-enterprises, buying copies for £1.75 and selling them to the public for £4, keeping the difference. This allows them to support themselves and their families, while becoming less reliant on tax-funded benefits.
The new figures published in the Big Issue Group annual impact report reveal that during 2022, we worked with 3,637 vendors – 876 of whom came to us to sell for the first time, a 10% increase in the total vendors on the previous year.
How is The Big Issue different to other magazines?
The Big Issue is based on the philosophy of self-help. We offer an approach which is not based on charity or handouts. Yet a recent survey showed that the biggest benefit vendors find from selling the magazine is the fact that they have contact with the public and the social interaction this provides.
In 2022, Big Issue Invest funded and assisted 138 social enterprises and charities, who in turn have worked with over 2 million people. Most of these organisations are delivering solutions that tackle poverty. We also understand the importance of initiatives that prevent poverty and social inequality.
Simply put, there are no barriers to becoming a vendor. All you need to do is contact your local Big Issue Office who will: Supply you with free magazines to get you up and running. Provide guidance in various areas including sales coaching, health, financial and digital confidence.
