Financial abuse is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of domestic violence. It extends beyond limiting access to money, undermining survivors' confidence, self-esteem, and independence. Abusers may control bank accounts, restrict employment, discourage education, and isolate victims from support networks.
Even after an abusive relationship has ended, financial abuse often persists and escalates post separation through enduring debts, withdrawal of funds from joint bank accounts, refusal to remove victims’ names from bills and accounts, refusal to pay child support and legal disputes. These harmful activities prevent victims from regaining financial control and reconstructing their lives, contributing to long-term financial hardship and housing precarity. Survivors of financial abuse experience a lack of confidence in their abilities to manage money and difficulty in securing and maintaining paid work. Stress often contributes to poorer mental and physical health. Financial abuse also contributes to isolation from friends and family and hinders victims from building new relationships or maintaining social lives.
In response, TASC, in collaboration with Safe Ireland and the Irish Banking Culture Board (IBCB), developed a training initiative to equip domestic violence support workers with the knowledge and tools to address financial abuse. Safe Ireland’s network includes 37 services and approximately 500 staff, supporting over 15,000 women and their families annually. This initiative enhances organisational capacity to help survivors regain financial control and independence.
A key component of the programme is the Financial Resilience Toolkit, which provides support workers with practical strategies to help survivors manage immediate financial needs, plan for the future, and build a stable financial foundation. The Toolkit includes guidance on:
- Starting the conversation – Engaging in survivor-led discussions about financial wellbeing
- Addressing immediate needs – Offering support for urgent financial issues
- Building a safety net – Supporting survivors in creating financial safeguards
- Day-to-day money management – Providing strategies for budgeting and managing expenses
- Planning for the future – Guiding survivors in long-term financial planning.
Since 2022, over 100 support workers have completed the training, equipping them with the tools to assist survivors in rebuilding their financial independence. As part of this year’s 16 Days of Action Against Domestic Violence campaign which runs each year from 25th of November, TASC wishes to highlight the issue of financial abuse, ensuring it receives the attention it deserves.
Find out more about the initiative and resources at www.frtdv.ie
Eriksson, M., & Ulmestig, R. (2021). “It’s not all about the money”: Toward a more comprehensive understanding of financial abuse in the context of violence against women (VAW). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(3-4), NP1625–1651NP. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517743547
Forde, C., & Duvvury, N. (2021). Assessing the social and economic costs of DV: A summary report. Centre for Women’s Studies, NUI Galway & Safe Ireland.
https://www.safeireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/Assessing-the-Social-and-Economic-Costs-of-DV-July2021.pdf
Sharp-Jeffs, N. (2015). A review of policy and research literature on financial abuse in the context of intimate partner violence. Centre for Women’s Aid and Support, London Metropolitan University.
https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/1482/1/Review-of-Research-and-Policy-on-Financial-Abuse.pdf
Larisa Andries
Larisa is an intern at TASC currently studying Computational Social Science with Sociology and Economics at University College Dublin. She has been involved in volunteer projects focusing on youth development and career mentoring. She also worked on managing social media and creating content for the projects. Her interests include social equity and community development.
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