Life was very tough for the very poor. Until the time of Henry VIII the church looked after the poor. Later it was the parish and the wealthy. They looked after their own parishoners, at least to some degree. For example, they built places for the old and infirm almshouses and hospitals. But they didn't want the burden of poor from elsewhere (vagrants) and they were punished to remind them not to come back, and then sent on their way.
