07 March 2025
LSA Response to Scottish Parliament’s Call for Views on Financial Considerations When Leaving an Abusive Relationship
Legal Services Agency (LSA) recently contributed to an important ‘Call for Views’ by the Social Justice and Social Security Committee into financial considerations when leaving an abusive relationship.
The Social Justice and Social Security Committee wanted to hear about:
- the support local authorities give to women leaving abusive relationships
- how rules and practices related to the public sector and social security take account of the financial issues women can face when leaving abusive relationships
- how much information and advice is available from public bodies and charities
As a law centre providing homelessness advice, Legal Services Agency welcomes the Committee’s focus on the financial challenges survivors of domestic abuse face. Economic dependence and financial abuse are major barriers preventing women from leaving abusive relationships, and without adequate support, many face homelessness and destitution.
Many women in abusive relationships unknowingly accrue rent arrears due to financial control by their partners. We regularly support clients who:
- Face eviction because their partner failed to pay rent, despite the survivor believing it was being covered.
- Have had their finances drained by a partner’s gambling debts, forcing them to prioritise repayment over essential living costs.
- Struggle with joint tenancies, where their abuser remains liable for the tenancy or has been involved in antisocial behaviour, making it difficult for them to remain safely in their home.
In a detailed response, LSA urged the Scottish Government to ensure financial abuse is explicitly addressed in all domestic abuse strategies and to increase funding for Women’s Aid and other frontline services that provide advice, financial and housing support to survivors of abuse.
We outlined steps that the Government can take to improve support for survivors, namely: to improve housing and rent arrears support, to expand financial assistance, to collaborate with support services, to advocate for policy implementation, and to provide emergency financial assistance and accommodation to those with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF).
Overall, we recommended that the Government strengthen their Equally Safe strategy, which sets out their vision to address violence against women and girls, to include targeted financial protections, sustainable funding, and coordinated policy integration.
Legal Services Agency believe that no survivor should be forced to remain in an abusive relationship due to financial constraints. We urge the Scottish Government to consider these recommendations to prevent homelessness and improve financial security for survivors.
