Victim-survivors of economic abuse are struggling with the demands of navigating a chaotic pathway in the fight for financial security, labelling it a full-time job, according to a new report launched in the Illawarra today.
Delivered by the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre through its major project, the Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre, in partnership with the Centre for Women’s Economic Safety (CWES), the report highlights the many obstacles and limited enablers faced by victim-survivors as they seek financial safety
and security.
Authored by Julie Kun, Financial Security Pathways after Economic Abuse is the result of consultations with victim-survivors, academics and service providers, and focuses on three target victim-survivor populations of older women, women with disabilities and single mothers.
The report indicates the profound effects of economic abuse can last a lifetime and include prolonged
poverty, poor mental health, and financial deprivation that can cause housing insecurity and
homelessness.
Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre CEO Maree Kerr said victim-survivors describe a complex web
of overlapping systems when they try to navigate financial and essential services in a bid to secure their
long-term financial security.
“Those most in need report there is no clear pathway to financial security post separation even though
financial security is closely tied to their sense of safety, autonomy and income sufficiency,” she said.
“They report struggling with the amount of separate yet overlapping service delivery systems, interrelated
and sometimes conflicting policies, along with sexism, ageism and racism that leaves them frustrated,
exhausted and disillusioned.
“As this report indicates, it is time to dismantle the obstacles to financial support and implement evidence-formed changes to create viable, streamlined pathways to financial security.”
CWES Founder and CEO Rebecca Glenn said the report, which draws on the experience and expertise of
victim-survivors, academics and service providers within the Illawarra, explores financial recovery
responses across financial and essential services, employment, social security, child support, family court,
health care, NDIS, domestic and family violence services, and financial counselling.
“Women need clarity and flexibility when it comes to pursuing financial security after economic abuse but
are finding there is no easy way forward with multiple barriers impeding their progress,” she said.
“Legal proceedings, financial entanglement, post-separation abuse, non-payment of child support,
inadequate social security income and challenges in gaining decent employment are just some of the
obstacles they need to navigate.
“This report offers evidence-based recommendations that target multiple areas including government,
community, financial, health, aged, and disability services and policy. Some recommendations are quick
fixes while others are long-term strategies but all have the ability to positively impact financial security
after economic abuse.”
While the report offers a substantial list of recommendations across multiple service delivery and policy
areas, priorities include:
Government Social Security and Payments:
- Raise social security benefits above the poverty line.
- Guarantee child support payments.
- Increase allowable work hours for social security recipients.
Community Services: - Establish multi-disciplinary service hubs for domestic violence and financial recovery.
- Increase funding for specialist domestic violence financial counsellors and tax clinics.
Finance and Essential Services: - Support sector-wide adoption of non-payment of child support being considered like any
other debt when assessing for credit check reporting. - Stop interest accumulation on debts suspended due to domestic violence.
- Promote alternatives to joint loans and disclose risks and benefits of taking up joint
financial products and services.
Health: - Increase mental health plan sessions from 10 to 20 per year.
- Ensure NDIS recipients don’t lose NDIS funding when leaving abusive relationships.
- Guarantee aged care support for older victim-survivors
Data Collection: - Collect data on economic abuse at organisational, state, and national levels, including
abuse by intimate partners, family members within Australia and overseas, and carers.
General: - Reduce Apprehended Violence Orders (AVO) requirement as proof of domestic and
family violence - Centre lived experiences in policy and product design for economic abuse recovery.
