Funding pledged for domestic abuse victims to rebuild their lives

£125m will be handed to councils across England to make sure safe accommodation spaces, such as refuges and shelters, can provide victims with vital support services.

Domestic abuse victims and their children will receive extra support to help them rebuild their lives in a safe environment, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced today.

A further £125m will be handed to councils across England to make sure safe accommodation spaces, such as refuges and shelters, can provide victims with the necessary support services including healthcare, social workers and benefits.

Interpreters, immigration advice, drug or alcohol support and other specialist services will also be funded and made available.

The funding will be issued as an un-ringfenced grant to local councils who will then be responsible for making decisions on how the funding is spent to benefit those in need.

Two consultations have also been launched today to address some of the housing difficulties abuse victims are likely to face.

One consultation will focus on removing Local Connection Tests for abuse victims, which can stop victims from applying for social housing if they do not have a connection to a local area. 

The second consultation will consider whether and how to change current rules that make it difficult for victims to remove their perpetrators from joint tenancies.

These new measures have been included in the proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which is currently awaiting consideration of Lords amendments. 

Rough Sleeping and Housing Minister, Eddie Hughes MP, said: ‘This funding will give victims of domestic abuse and their children across the country the practical and emotional support to recover and rebuild their lives from this terrible crime’.

‘The consultations we are launching today build on this work and will help us give victims more options to move forward with their lives in the way that is right for them’.

The government will call on people with experience of domestic abuse and those working in the sector to share their views.

In related news, the government has set out new regulations for the level of support councils are required to provide for victims of domestic abuse.

Photo by Alex Green