The almost 200-year-old law that makes it a criminal offence to sleep rough in England and Wales has finally been repealed – for now. The controversial law, which has already been repealed in Scotland, makes rough sleeping and begging a criminal offence in England and Wales.
Although it is not illegal to sleep rough, these activities have an unacceptable and detrimental impact on communities and place further demands on local public services, which are felt more acutely in Westminster than anywhere else in the country.
Rough sleeping is the most visible form of homelessness. It is typically associated with sleeping outside, but also refers to sleeping in a place not designed for living such as an empty building or a car. Some people are at a higher risk of rough sleeping than others.
Advice tool
If you're concerned about the welfare of someone who is sleeping rough or is homeless, you can alert your local council . You may also consider contacting StreetLink who can help to connect the person to available local services.
Repeal of the Vagrancy Act 1824: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 factsheet.
It is a criminal offence to beg in a public place.
There is a higher level of homelessness across England generally, with 0.86 per cent of households experiencing the worst forms of homelessness compared to 0.69 per cent in Wales and 0.57 per cent in Scotland.
Night shelters are usually free but hostels are not. The rent in hostels can be quite high and you may also have to pay extra for things like laundry or meals. However, most hostels will accept people without any money as long as you can claim benefits to pay for the accommodation.
Shelter will be able to help you understand your rights, access your needs, and help you to explore the options available to you. You can contact Shelter's Housing advice helpline on 0808 800 4444 (free from landlines and on most mobile networks), or by visiting their website.
Homelessness and rough sleeping
You are experiencing homelessness if you have nowhere to stay and are living on the streets, but you can experience homelessness even if you have a roof over your head. Homelessness does not just refer to people who are experiencing rough sleeping.
'Hidden homelessness' refers to people who would meet the legal definition of homeless if they were to make a formal application, but are not represented in the local authority homeless statistics.
The Vagrancy Act makes it a criminal offence to beg or be homeless on the street in England and Wales. The law was passed in the summer of 1824 – 197 years ago – and was originally intended to deal with a situation far from the reality of street homelessness in present-day UK.
You're legally homeless if you do not have a home and you're on the streets. The council should accept you're legally homeless if you're staying somewhere very temporary such as a: night shelter. emergency hostel.
Post the property with proper signage such as “No Trespassing or Loitering”. Do not allow anyone to store shopping carts, bedding or other personal belongings on your property. Restrict access to sidewalk overhangs, alcoves, or other areas protected from inclement weather. Lock or remove handles from water spigots.
Updated eligibility rules means more vulnerable people, including care leavers and those who have been homeless, could see their payments increase by up to £400 each month.
You can make a PIP claim whether or not you get help from anyone. You don't need to have worked or paid National Insurance to qualify for PIP, and it doesn't matter what your income is, if you have any savings or you're working.
Most night shelters are free. Many have an evening meal or breakfast at no cost or for a small charge. You arrive by a set time in the evening and leave in the morning. Night shelter staff or volunteers can sometimes help with advice on finding somewhere to live and other practical support.
If you have children or you're pregnant, you shouldn't usually have to stay in a hostel or bed and breakfast for more than 6 weeks. If you're there for longer than this, you should ask the council to move you because it's no longer suitable.
hobo. beggar. bum. derelict. down-and-out.
Rough sleepers may, depending on their circumstances, be able to claim mainstream social security benefits such as Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). More rough sleepers will come under the Universal Credit (UC) system as roll-out continues.
Many travelers who visit Finland's capital, Helsinki, notice something that's very different from the other cities they've been to. There are no homeless people on the streets. In fact, Finland is the only country in the European Union where homelessness is falling thanks to new initiatives.