Government To Decriminalise Rough Sleeping In England And Wales
The government will scrap the 200-year-old Vagrancy Act by spring next year, making rough sleeping no longer a crime in England and Wales. The law, originally passed in 1824, was used to target people sleeping on the streets following the Industrial Revolution, but has been widely criticised as outdated and unjust. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner called it “cruel and outdated,” adding, “No one should ever be criminalised simply for sleeping rough.”
Instead of criminalising homelessness, the government says it will focus on tackling its root causes. An additional £233 million has been allocated to homelessness services this financial year, bringing total investment to nearly £1 billion for 2025–26. Charities like Crisis and St Mungo’s have welcomed the announcement, with Crisis calling it “a landmark moment that will change lives” and St Mungo’s adding that criminalisation was never the answer to rough sleeping.
While rough sleeping will no longer be prosecuted, new laws are being introduced to address organised begging and criminal trespass. These targeted measures are meant to give police powers to deal with exploitation by gangs and protect communities without punishing people in poverty.
