There was a massive increase in poverty and the problems faced by the poor in the period 1471 - 1626, this was due to a number of interdependable social, economic, and monarchical changes throughout the period. There was a high rise in birth rate, causing the population to double between the reigns of Henry VII and Elizabeth I. Along with this, unemployment rose, and rapid price inflation caused the problems of the poor to increase. In addition there was a famine in the countryside that averaged out at once every four years. During the 1530s, Henry VIII's reformation and dissolution of monasteries resulted in, among other things, much Church land being put on the market, thousands of ex-monks being released into society and the caused the end of monastic charity and welfare. Also the reduction of people living in service was reduced causing more problems for the poor, as there was a reduction of jobs that showed a way out of the poverty cycle. There were solutions to these problems, however solutions depended on the type of poor, as the government had defined 3 types, the visible poor, the Able-bodied poor and beggars known as Vagabo

There were many solutions to help the poor of the Tudor period, the government passed many acts to assist the plight of the impoverished, however legislation depended greatly on which type of person the pauper was. The government had defined three types of poor. The Visible Poor, including the old, the sick, the disabled and children. In 1598, the "genuine desire for social betterment" had produced a poor law, to assist with the problems of the poor. The act set out many changes to help the visible poor; responsibility was placed on the parish the poor lived in, however "compulsory poor rates" were set by justices of the peace. The elderly and the disabled received a sum of money and possibly some food each week, if they were unable to collect both, it would be delivered to their house. Children of the poor were given an apprenticeship paid for by the parish. In this way, the parish could expect to benefit from the child when they had grown up and learned a new skill. Boys were apprenticed to a master until they were 24 years old. If a girl could be found an apprenticeship, she would work with her mistress until she was 21. People who were thought to be Visible Poor were not considered to be a burden as the government believed that it was not their fault that they were in their position. Some parishes gave these people a licence to beg. These measures were re-enacted in the 1601 act, which again emphasised the need and solutions to help the visible poor.

The third group were known as Vagabonds. This was the group targeted by the government, these were people who could work but preferred to beg or steal. This group worried the government, as it was the one most like to get into trouble. The government passed many acts to attempt to end Vagrancy. The Vagrancy Act of 1547 prescribed collections every week for the impotent poor, it also made begging illegal and anybody found begging was flogged until his back was bloody, also any caught vagabonds could have their tongue branded and kept as a slave for two years. In 1598 another act to prevent vagabonds was passed, which "simplified penalties and procedures" if a vagabond were found begging outside of his parish, he would be beaten until he got to the parish stones that marked his parish boundary with the next parish. Those who were caught continually begging could be sent to prison and hanged. These acts did nothing to help Vagabonds, just punished them, it did however confine them to parishes so they could be controlled.

Consequently, the increase in population caused many problems of the poor, as there was an increase in competition for jobs. One job that had a guaranteed escape from the poverty trap was working in a position of direct dependency, living and working in households of masters. This was popular as it "safeguarded young workers against rising prices, since they r

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Approximate Word count = 1921
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)