Petition · past parliament · Home Office
Do Not Push Forward with New Offences relating to Begging and Rough Sleeping
Closed
872 signatures
What the petition asks
We want sections of the proposed Criminal Justice Bill that relate to "nuisance" begging and "nuisance" rough sleeping removed. We believe the proposed legislation is overly punitive and impractical, and risks further marginalising an incredibly vulnerable group of people.
We think the bill ignores the causes of homelessness, which can include: trauma, complex mental/physical health needs, limited housing stock and cuts to public services. Instead, rough sleepers could face being repeatedly moved along, or even prison and/or a £2.5K fine. We believe this is impractical and inhumane.
Many antisocial behaviours are already illegal and have nothing to do with homelessness.
Many antisocial behaviours are already illegal and have nothing to do with homelessness.
Timeline
| 5 Apr 2024 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 29 May 2024 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
872
Status
Closed
Department
Home Office
Opened
5 Apr 2024
Closed
29 May 2024
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.