The TUC and Women’s Aid have recently produced a report which reveals the hidden misery of women trapped in financially abusive relationships, in many cases leaving them trapped in poverty and without any access to money for essentials, emergency items or items for their children. This is a problem which is not only misunderstood, but for which there are no official figures.
Financial abuse is defined as the control of money, exploitation of survivor’s income and time, and sabotage of their efforts to generate an income through work.
The report states that:
- 77% said their mental health had been affected by the financial abuse.
- 75% were prevented from seeing family and friends.
- 76% said their family kept financial information from them.
- 67% of those in work during the abuse said their partner monitored their work activities.
- 58% said their partner’s used them as a source of money.
Very often the financial abuse was accompanied by other controlling behaviour, for example, there were cases where women were locked up at home and forced to provide unpaid labour in family businesses.
While some of the people surveyed stated they were receiving benefit income, move than 50% said that their partner’s took the benefits from them.
The report concludes with a five point plan which would see:
- Survivors and Agencies identifying and responding to abuse.
- Banks dealing with abuse move effectively.
- Changes to the delivery of universal credit to reduce the risk of further opportunities for financial abuse.
- Benefits and Child Maintenance systems supporting survivors.
- The collection of further data to provide more detail about this form of abuse so that effective interventions can take place.
Many women who are victims of domestic violence find it impossible to leave the perpetrators because they don’t have the money to escape.
If you need some advice on financial abuse then contact the Ringrose Law team at one of our offices across Lincolnshire & Newark.