Survivors of Domestic Abuse Need Work, Not Welfare Cuts: Why Tailored Support Matters

Introduction: A Crisis in the Making

The Labour government’s recent announcement of benefit cuts and National Insurance (NI) increases is set to reshape the welfare system - but at what cost? While the government claims these changes will encourage more people into work, for survivors of domestic abuse, the reality is far more complex.

For many survivors, financial stability is the key to escaping abuse and rebuilding their lives. Yet, by reducing access to essential financial support without investing in survivor-specific employment support, these policy changes could trap survivors in poverty or force them back into unsafe situations.

If the government is serious about helping people back into work, cutting benefits is not the answer. Instead, we need trauma-informed career support, workplace protections, and policies that recognise the unique challenges survivors face.

The Barriers to Work for Domestic Abuse Survivors

Leaving an abusive relationship is never just about leaving a home—it’s about leaving behind economic control, financial abuse, and career instability. Many survivors face significant barriers to entering or remaining in work, including:

⚠️ Financial Dependence & Economic Abuse – Abusers often restrict survivors’ access to money, trapping them in financial dependency. Many survivors leave with nothing—no savings, no stable income, and, in some cases, significant debt in their name.

⚠️ Gaps in Work History – Many survivors have been prevented from working or had their careers derailed by controlling partners. When they do seek employment, they may struggle to explain career gaps, making job applications difficult.

⚠️ Trauma & Mental Health Challenges – PTSD, anxiety, and depression are common among survivors. Without employer flexibility or mental health support, returning to work can feel impossible.

⚠️ Insecure Housing & Safety Risks – A survivor’s work location can be a safety risk if an abuser knows where they are employed. Limited access to stable housing can also make work impossible.

Why Cutting Benefits Won’t Help Survivors Work

The government’s approach seems to assume that cutting benefits will motivate more people to seek employment. But for survivors of domestic abuse, these cuts could have devastating consequences:

🔴 Survivors may be forced into unstable, low-paid jobs before they are ready, leading to burnout or financial exploitation.

🔴 Housing insecurity will increase as more survivors struggle to afford rent without financial assistance.

🔴 Refuges and DA services will suffer from the NI increases, limiting the very support systems survivors need to become work-ready.

Refuge has called for the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector to be exempt from National Insurance hikes, highlighting that increased financial burdens threaten the sustainability of life-saving services (Refuge).

Victim Support has warned that funding cuts, combined with increased National Insurance costs, will necessitate staff layoffs and service reductions, jeopardising support for victim-survivors of gender-based violence (Victim Support).

Simply put: you can’t force someone into employment if they don’t have the support to get there.

What Survivors Actually Need to Rebuild Their Careers

If the government truly wants to help people into work, it must recognise that domestic abuse survivors need a tailored approach.

✅ Trauma-Informed Career Support – Survivors need specialist career advice that helps them rebuild confidence, address CV gaps, and find sustainable employment.

✅ Survivor-Friendly Workplaces – Employers should receive training on supporting survivors, offering flexible working and confidentiality measures to ensure survivors feel safe at work.

✅ Financial Support During the Transition – Survivors need sustained financial assistance as they move towards stability—not immediate benefit cuts that push them into crisis.

✅ Exemptions for DA Services from NI Increases – Domestic abuse charities and employment programmes must remain funded so that survivors can access the help they need to move into work.

Women's Aid recently highlighted that domestic abuse services are facing a £321 million funding gap, which will severely limit the ability of organisations to support survivors in rebuilding their lives (Women’s Aid).

Call to Action: What Needs to Change

The government has an opportunity to do the right thing. Instead of forcing survivors into unsafe situations, we need:

🔹 A review of how benefit changes impact survivors.

🔹 Increased funding for survivor-specific employment programmes.

🔹 An exemption for domestic abuse charities from the NI increase.

🔹 Employer-led initiatives to support survivors in the workplace.

The cost of inaction is too high. Survivors deserve better than a welfare system that works against them. It’s time for policymakers, employers, and society as a whole to recognise that helping survivors into work means supporting them every step of the way—not cutting off the safety net they rely on.