UK Vagrancy Act of 1824

Summary

The Vagrancy Act 1824 (5 Geo. 4. c. 83) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that makes it an offence to sleep rough or beg. It remains in force in England and Wales, and anyone found to be sleeping in a public place or to be trying to beg for money can be arrested.

This law makes it illegal to beg or ‘sleep rough’ on the streets. Although the law is a product of the 19^th Century— individuals in breach of the law “shall be deemed a rogue and vagabond”— it is still being applied on the streets of England and Wales today. Instead of tackling the root causes of homelessness, it punishes people who are already struggling. Worse still, it can prevent people from reaching out for the support services they need to get off the streets.

CSC is standing with Crisis and other leading homelessness organisations in the UK to call for the Vagrancy Act to be scrapped.