A handout is something given freely or distributed free. It can refer to materials handed out for presentation purposes or to a charitable gift, among other things.

During the Great Depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

, many people lived entirely on handouts of one kind or another. The term became especially popular among hobo

Hobo

A hobo is a term which is often applied to a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike 'tramps', who work only when they are forced to, and 'bums', who do not...

s, who developed a system of signs and symbols to describe the nature, quantity, and availability of handouts.

In more recent times, the perceived ineffectiveness of simple welfare schemes has given the term a negative connotation. "Give a hand up, not a handout" is a common remark among proponents of workfare

Workfare

Workfare is an alternative model to conventional social welfare systems. The term was first introduced by civil rights leader James Charles Evers in 1968; however, it was popularized by Richard Nixon in a televised speech August 1969...

 or other welfare-to-work systems. As the issue of homelessness has become more visible and controversial, handouts to panhandlers

Begging

Begging is to entreat earnestly, implore, or supplicate. It often occurs for the purpose of securing a material benefit, generally for a gift, donation or charitable donation...

 are more often frowned upon by those who believe the behavior encourages homelessness. The term "government handout" is often applied to both welfare systems as well as corporate welfare

Corporate welfare

Corporate welfare is a pejorative term describing a government's bestowal of money grants, tax breaks, or other special favorable treatment on corporations or selected corporations. The term compares corporate subsidies and welfare payments to the poor, and implies that corporations are much less...

 or pork

Pork barrel

Pork barrel is a derogatory term referring to appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district...

. The implication is that a handout is unearned and undeserved, unlike a "donation" or "contribution".

Handouts may also refer to short, usually single-page assignments distributed in high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 or college

College

A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

.