Financial considerations when leaving an abusive relationship

Closes 20 Feb 2025

Opened 13 Dec 2024

Contact

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

SJSS.committee@parliament.scot

Overview

The Social Justice and Social Security Committee is looking into the financial pressures women face when leaving an abusive relationship.

We want to hear your views about:

  • what support is available 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 an abusive relationship

We’re interested in hearing from:

  • women with experience of domestic abuse
  • third sector organisations providing advice, support or information
  • public sector organisations advising and supporting women who are victims of domestic abuse
  • local authorities
  • housing associations
  • public bodies with relevant roles and functions
  • legal aid solicitors

Find out about the questions in this call for views

Please note: you do not need to answer all of these questions.

  1. To what extent do Scottish Government strategies such as Equally Safe give proper recognition to financial considerations when leaving an abusive relationship? 
  2. How well do social security systems take account of domestic abuse? Do you have specific examples of social security rules and practices that need to change?
  3. When public bodies, for example local authorities and housing associations, are pursuing debt owed to them, to what extent do they take into account the way debt can arise as a result of being in or leaving an abusive relationship? Do you have specific examples of rules and practices that need to change?
  4. Do legal aid rules take sufficient account of the financial circumstances of women who have experienced domestic abuse? Do you have any specific examples of rules or practices which need to change?
  5. What are the particular barriers faced by those with No Recourse to Public Funds? And what can be done at a Scottish and local level to address these? 
  6. Does the advice and information available to women experiencing domestic abuse adequately deal with financial barriers?
  7. To what extent is it the role of government to ensure that someone’s economic circumstances do not prevent them from leaving an abusive relationship?
  8. Please share any other comments that you have with us.

How to submit your views

Please submit your views using the online submission form, linked to below.

If you are a victim of abuse and want to share your views anonymously (without your name), you will have the opportunity to indicate this in the call for views. It is for the Committee to agree whether to accept your submission on this basis.

If you would like to discuss making a submission with the committee, please contact us, in confidence, by email: SJSS.committee@parliament.scot

We welcome written views in English, Gaelic, Scots or any other language. 

The call for views closes on Thursday 20 February 2025.

Give us your views

Click here to complete the submission form

Interests

  • SJSS