In the UK, "Casuals" in workhouses referred to homeless or itinerant people who would occasionally stay in a designated area within the workhouse called a "casual ward," where they were given a temporary bed and basic food in exchange for completing menial tasks like breaking stones or picking oakum, often only allowed to stay for a short period before moving on; they were generally considered the "undeserving poor" and treated harsher than other workhouse residents due to the perception that they chose to be vagrant rather than work.