Under the plans unveiled by Home Office, survivors will be given one-off payments
of £250, rising to £500 if they have children, following the £300,000 announcement by the
Home Secretary, Suella Braverman.
It came after the research by Women’s Aid found that almost three quarters of women living
with and having financial links with abusers said the cost of living had either prevented them
from leaving, or made it harder to leave.
The government money is being allocated to Women’s Aid, who will support domestic
violence victims to pay for essentials such as food, nappies, sanitary products, rent on their
previous property, or it could be put towards deposit on new accommodation. Women’s Aid
will then provide further assistance for victims to set themselves up sustainably, by
accessing benefits or finding work.
The new plans come after the government announced last month that domestic killers with a
history of coercive control against their victims, will face tougher prison sentences. The use
of excessive or gratuitous violence will also be made an aggravating factor in sentencing
decisions for murder, the Ministry of Justice said.
