Poor Act 1551

The Act for the Provision and Relief of the Poor (5 & 6 Edw. 6. c. 2) was an act passed by the Parliament of England during the reign of King Edward VI. It is a part of the Tudor Poor Laws and reaffirms previous poor laws, including the Vagabonds Act 1536 (27 Hen. 8. c. 25), the Vagabonds Act 1547 (1 Edw. 6. c. 3), and 1549 which focused primarily on the punishment of vagabonds.

The act designated a new position, "collector of alms," in each parish. Local authorities and residents elected two alms collectors to request, record, and distribute charitable donations for poor relief. It further provided that each parish would keep a register of all its “impotent, aged, and needy persons” and the aid they received. Parish authorities were directed to “gently exhort” any person that could contribute but would not, referring them to the Bishop of the Diocese if they continued to refuse. Punishment for neglecting poor relief obligations was adopted in the Poor Act 1562 (5 Eliz. 1. c. 3) and reliance on charity was replaced by a system of taxation in the Poor Relief Act 1597 (39 Eliz. 1. c. 3). Under the assumption that all poor would be cared for, begging openly was now forbidden. Licensed begging would be reinstated by the Marian Parliament of 1555 with the requirement that legal beggars wear badges.