One off payments of £250 or £500 now available for women fleeing domestic violence

[IwantToRetire]

Domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid has described the “relief” for survivors of domestic abuse following a government announcement of the pilot of a £300,000 fund to offer one-off payments to help survivors flee abusers. Survivors will receive £250, or £500 if they have children, from funding in the existing Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan.

Survivors eligible for the fund will have experienced one of more of the following, either at the time, or within 12 months, of application/referral:

• Financial dependency on partner or family member
• Requires funds to flee abuse
• Unable to meet debt repayments
• Unable to replace/purchase essential goods for self/children
• Unable to access their own money due to abuse
• Unable to meet housing costs/rent payments whilst in refuge
• Unable to access appropriate housing
• Unable to access benefits, waiting for benefits claims to be processed or with no recourse to public funds
• Unable to care for their children or other caring responsibilities with family members

This fund will be open to migrant women with no recourse to public funds, who face severe, additional barriers to accessing support.

More details as https://www.womensaid.org.uk/excellent-start-as-government-announces-pilot-of-emergency-fund-for-domestic-abuse-survivors/

(Although from reading the press release it looks like it is going to be one of those "benefits" that you have to be referred to, rather than making a direct application. ie more bureaucracy)

I haven’t tracked down information on who is running the pilot yet, have you?

I assumed that it was Women's Aid / the federation as referrals have to be made via front line services.

The Government Press Release says:

Allocating this money to Women’s Aid puts into action the ‘flexible funding’ model outlined in the government’s wide-ranging Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan, published 1 year ago, on 30 March 2022.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/victims-fleeing-domestic-abuse-given-lifeline-payments

Presumably WAFE will let member groups know how to make a claim?

I saw this the other week, it’s definitely a step in the right direction hopefully something like this will enable women to leave abusers sooner. It’s good to see some recognition of the barriers to leaving.

Yes, I guess you must be right. We are a member of the federation so I look forward to finding out more!

Well I suppose it is something that the Government didn't make Refuge the distributor! :)

That money is a tiny and I mean fucking tiny step in the right direction.

But if they actually care we also need:

1. A definite right to permanent rehousing in area that is suitable, safe and supportive
2. Transitional support with accessing services, schools, counselling, access to.the freedom programme,to social prescribers, counselling for the children (this never happens)
3. Help furnishing the house, getting basics such as clothes, furniture, kitchen equipment, signing up for bills, getting any benefits, a new job if required.
4. The law to step up to create a safe, free and easy route to prosecution.
5. Unpopular, but helpful, long term counselling anger management for perps.
6. Wellbeing services to treat self confidence, managing anxiety, learning to deal with panic attacks, PTSD, dealing with trauma, managing traumatised children.

Lots more as well but it's late.

Sadly though this thread will largely be ignored. Where as if it was about trans women going into refugees there were be 100 replies. (Not that that doesn't also worry me but the above are the major issues for anyone working frontline with women fleeing domestic violence day to day by those of us that know)

I’m pleased to see this but also frankly stunned that something like this wasn’t already in place. And from your list Wedoronron I’m most concerned about the lack of counselling for the children.

It's better than nothing (just) and may help at the moment of getting to temp accommodation and some basics if she's had to leave with just the clothes she's wearing. But surely a heck of a lot more needs to be done to give these women the support they require? A one off £250 isn't going to last any one long. What are they meant to do then?

I’m pleased to see this but also frankly stunned that something like this wasn’t already in place.

Irrespective of the trans issue councils have been cutting funding to refuges for over a decade, based on financial cuts, but also complete disregard that women as domestic violence need specialised support from other women.

Apart from entrenched misogyny it also partly down to the history of how funding for women's refuges was originally gained.

So as not to offend any men on local council committees (where they were the majority) that the problem was male violence, the issue was presented as a homelessness issue, and it was agreed that to address this women in refuges could claim housing benefit. (This also suit councils as quite often refuges were in council propery and so council money stayed within the council as the HB they paid out came back as rent.)

There is no agreed core funding for refuges. Everying is about securing different bits of funding for different services.

And there has never been whether by local or central government any concept of women needing money to establish a new home (assuming they get one and aren't dumped in unregulated accommodation which is the last place vulnerable women should ever be).

As far as councils are concerned like any other homeless person they can apply for the tiny bits of money available via social services etc..

If you are part of any community online group such as mutual aid you will requests from support workers to help women leaving refuges set up a home.

So as WAFE said it is a partial victory, and it would help if each of us became more aware of local need by whatever remaining domestic violence support service there are in our area.

As well as for instance joining this letter writing campaign to local councillors https://takeaction.womensaid.org.uk/write-your-local-councillor

There is little or no support for children fleeing domestic violence. And given the sadly often cyclical nature of violence (girls going into violent relationships, boys becoming perpetrators) it is incredibly short sighted.