Overview
- The government will formally repeal the 1824 Vagrancy Act next week using secondary legislation enabled by the Crime and Policing Act passed in April 2026.
- The replacement framework creates targeted offences against organised begging, people who facilitate begging for financial gain, and trespassers who intend to commit crimes while keeping police powers to tackle anti-social behaviour.
- Ministers say the change marks a shift from punishing people who sleep rough to treating homelessness as a social problem that needs prevention and support.
- Homelessness charities described the repeal as a watershed moment but warned it must be backed by more housing and support to help the thousands sleeping rough, estimated at 7,541 people in England during March 2026.
- Key questions now are whether planned funding and services reach people on the street and how police use the new powers, with the outcome determining if the repeal reduces harm or simply changes how enforcement is applied.