The Poor Relief Act of 1662 created settlement rules that determined which parish was responsible for providing relief to the poor. This legislation was a significant development in the evolution of social welfare in England, formalizing the system of poor relief. The Act aimed to reduce the burden on parishes and address issues of poverty, shaping the future of social policy and community responsibility in the country.

The Poor Relief Act of 1662 established settlement rules that significantly impacted rural and urban mobility in England. This social pressure found expression in ballads and laboring-class poetry, as writers began to address themes of exile and the struggles of the working poor.