MSPs urged to ensure domestic abuse victims have access to extensive financial advice

MSPs have been urged to ensure domestic abuse victims have access to comprehensive financial and legal advice to prevent them suffering economic abuse even when relationships end.

Scottish Women’s Aid said victims often received “disappointing” responses from the police when they reported former partners trying to exploit them financially.

Holyrood’s Social Justice Committee heard from charities about the financial considerations of leaving an abusive relationship.

Jenn Glinski, national policy lead for economic abuse at Scottish Women’s Aid, told the committee about difficulties if severing financial links when abusive relationships end.

She said: “When the relationship ends, the abuse does not end…

“That financial link the perpetrator is able to keep to them post-separation is something that we need to try to sever.

“Victim/survivors need clear, practical and trauma-informed advice on a wide range of financial topics.”

She said this can include advice on what will happen with joint tenancies, joint mortgages, eviction risks and benefits.

No one dedicated service can currently provide all this, Dr Glinski said.

The committee heard financial institutions are starting to become aware of coerced debt as a form of domestic abuse – where an abusive partner creates debt in a victim’s name without their consent.

However feedback from victims has suggested there is still a “significant lack of awareness” on the topic among certain services, she said.

Dr Glinski continued: “Some victim/survivors have shared with us that unfortunately they thought response from the police in particular was very disappointing upon disclosing economic abuse.

“Especially when there hadn’t been physical or sexual abuse.

“It was common to be told that this was not a criminal issue, it was civil matter and they would be better off contacting their banks instead.”

Some victims are forced to redescribe their abusive relationship again and again, she said, which can leave them retraumatised.