Financial abuse leaves ‘nearly one million women in UK trapped’

Written by Jamie Roberton

Nearly one million women in the UK are trapped in dangerous relationships because of financial abuse, a groundbreaking study shared with Channel 4 News suggests.

The charity Surviving Economic Abuse says successive governments have failed to tackle the “hidden crisis”, leaving survivors unable to flee or rebuild their lives.

An estimated one in seven women – equivalent to more than four million – have suffered economic abuse at the hands of a current or former partner in the last 12 months, according to the charity’s research.

Black or Asian women were said to be over twice as likely to experience this form of abuse.

Campaigners have urged the government to place tackling economic abuse at the heart of its strategy to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

A Home Office spokesperson told Channel 4 News that the government recognises “the devastating impact,” pledging to “use every lever available to us to tackle this crime.”

Rebecca Beattie’s former partner subjected her to economic, physical and emotional abuse over the course of their five-year relationship.

“He wouldn’t give me money for household bills, he had my bank card, he knew my pin, he would take out loans in my name,” she told Channel 4 News.

“Every aspect is controlled by them, financially, and you are powerless.”

When she ended the relationship, the mother-of-one was attacked and left requiring reconstructive surgery.

“It was the scariest night of my life because I thought that he was going to kill me and I thought that I was never going to see my son again.”

“That’s something that will stay with me forever.”

Ms Beattie’s perpetrator pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm in 2012. He is still subject to a non-molestation order against her.

Ms Beattie, despite achieving some form of justice, said she was then left with a £26,000 debt in her name.

Surviving Economic Abuse provided support in helping clear the debt that was wrongly accrued in her name.

Economic abuse is defined as control of the resources that money can buy, such as food, housing and mobile phones.

This was explicitly recognised in law as coercive or controlling behaviour as part of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

But campaigners say domestic abusers are still able to freely weaponise mortgages, rent payments and energy bills to control victims.

An estimated 36% of women who contributed to the study, said they had experienced mental ill health as a result of economic abuse, with 11% reporting homelessness.

Sam Smethers, the interim chief executive of Surviving Economic Abuse, said “systemic” change was needed.

“The government could require local authorities to write off coercive debt like rent arrears, council tax,” she said.

“At the moment, they’re required to pay those arrears off and they’re very aggressively chased by debt collection agencies – often aggravating mental health problems. We need to make sure the victims of others can move on with their lives.”

Sir Keir Starmer, responding during Prime Minister’s Questions earlier this month, said he was committed to tackling what he described as a “national emergency” of economic abuse.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We recognise the devastating impact financial and economic abuse can have on victims, which is why this year we are providing funding to Surviving Economic Abuse to raise awareness and support victims.”

“The factors leading to economic abuse, which must be addressed, are deep-rooted and complex. We will use every lever available to us to tackle this crime as part of our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.”

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in that report, you can seek help by going to channel4.com/support