Government sets Spring 2026 deadline for decriminalisation of rough sleeping through repeal of 200-year-old law

The Conservative Government first announced a repeal of the 1824 Act in 2022 but there was no date given for when it would be removed from law.

The Act was introduced in 1824 to deal with rising homelessness after the Napoleonic Wars and the Industrial Revolution.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Home Office said while use of the 1824 Act against rough sleeping has significantly declined over the years in line with modern attitudes and greater understanding around the causes of homelessness, it remains enforceable in law.”

Gaps left in legislation will be resolved through amendments to the Home Office’s Crime and Policing Bill, rather than a replacement for the Vagrancy Act.

These new measures will include a new offence of facilitating begging for gain and an offence of trespassing with the intention of committing a crime, both of which were previously included under the 1824 Act.  

Organised begging, which is often facilitated by criminal gangs, exploits vulnerable individuals, and can undermine the public’s sense of safety, the MHCLG and the Home Office said. 

This offence makes it unlawful for anyone to organise others to beg, like driving people to places for them to beg, and is intended to allow the police to crack down on organised crime gangs.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: “We are drawing a line under nearly two centuries of injustice towards some of the most vulnerable in society, who deserve dignity and support. 

“No one should ever be criminalised simply for sleeping rough and by scrapping this cruel and outdated law, we are making sure that can never happen again.”   

The Minister for Homelessness, Rushanara Ali, said: “Today marks a historic shift in how we’re responding to the rough sleeping crisis, by repealing an archaic Act that is neither just nor fit for purpose.

“Scrapping the Vagrancy Act for good is another step forward in our mission to tackle homelessness in all its forms, by focusing our efforts on its root causes.” 

Chief Executive of Crisis Matt Downie said: “This is a landmark moment that will change lives and prevent thousands of people from being pushed into the shadows, away from safety.

“For 200 years the Vagrancy Act has meant that people who are homeless are treated as criminals and second class citizens. It has punished people for trying to stay safe and done nothing to address why people become homeless in the first place. 

“Ending the use of the Vagrancy Act recognises a shameful history of persecuting people for poverty and destitution, something that figures like William Wilberforce and Winston Churchill warned against in their opposition to the Act.”

He added: “It is of great credit to the UK Government that they have shown such principled leadership in scrapping this pernicious Act. We hope this signals a completely different approach to helping people forced onto the streets and clears the way for a positive agenda that is about supporting people who desperately want to move on in life and fulfil their potential. We look forward to assisting the UK Government with their forthcoming homelessness strategy to do exactly that.”

Harry Rodd