Domestic abuse victims ‘at increased risk as they can’t afford to flee partners in cost crisis’

Domestic abuse victims will face increased harm or even death during the cost of living crisis as they cannot afford to flee dangerous partners, campaigners have warned.

Surviving Economic Abuse and Money Advice Plus, two charities who issued the warning, predicted a “tsunami” of need from domestic abuse victims accessing their services this coming winter.

Domestic abuse victims routinely face economic abuse from their partner, which involves being denied access to money or a bank account, as well as having debt placed in their name.

Money Advice Plus said rising energy and food costs means they are witnessing a startling rise in domestic abuse victims seeking help - rising from seven per cent to 40 per cent of victims in just six months.

This surge means they are no longer able to reassure victims they can flee their abusive partner and be “financially secure”, the debt advice charity said.

Around a third of victims contacting them have less than £100 left at the end of each month - with other research suggesting a woman who can’t get quickly hold of £100 is more than three times as likely to be subjected to abuse from a partner.

Domestic abuse victims have average individual debts of more than £20,000, the charities said, noting this is six times the average debt research from two years ago found.

Dr Nicola Sharp-Jeffs OBE, chief executive and founder of Surviving Economic Abuse, said: “One in six women in the UK will experience economic abuse and we are extremely concerned for victims in the coming months.

“Victim-survivors already face control and manipulation of their economic resources at the hands of abusers, plunged into debt, forced to live in poverty and to exist in a constant state of economic insecurity and instability.

“Simultaneously facing a cost of living crisis without adequate government support is nothing less than state-sanctioned economic abuse, aiding and abetting abusers to rob victims of their freedom and leaving them vulnerable to considerable harm”.

Her organisation has lent its backing to a plea from Women’s Aid, a leading domestic abuse charity, for ministers to set up an “Emergency Support Fund” to provide safety for domestic abuse victims during winter.

Surviving Economic Abuse said they had encountered reports of abusers wielding the cost of living crisis “as a tool for abuse” to “push victims further into debt”.

Relatives and friends who may have previously provided support may not be able to anymore due to struggling in the current economic crisis, frontline service workers said.

Karen Perrier, chief executive of Money Advice Plus, said: “We are experiencing an unprecedented demand for our services.

“The number of victim-survivors who don’t have enough money to live off, let alone keep themselves safe, is frightening.”

Between two and three women are murdered each week by their partners or ex-partners in England and Wales.

It comes after The Independent covered recent research, by Women’s Aid, which found nearly three quarters of domestic abuse victims say the spiralling cost of living crisis has stopped them escaping their abusive partner or made it trickier for them to flee.

The study found reasons victims cited ranged from not being able to afford the cost of living on one person’s income to fear of falling into debt or struggling to support children.

Anyone who requires help or support can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline which is open 24/7 365 days per year on 0808 2000 247 or via their website https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/