Government consults on financial protection for unmarried couples in abusive relationships
The UK government launched a consultation on financial protections for unmarried couples to help those in abusive relationships, aiming to address economic abuse.
The Full Story
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The UK government has launched a consultation on financial protections for unmarried couples, aiming to help those in abusive relationships escape economic abuse. The move, which has been welcomed by domestic abuse charities, seeks to give cohabiting couples greater financial security if they separate, particularly in cases where one partner controls the finances.
A domestic abuse charity based in Wiltshire, Fear Free, said the proposals could make it easier for people to leave controlling relationships. The charity sees first-hand how financial constraints hinder survivors from fleeing abuse. Many victims are trapped because their partner controls bills, bank accounts, and runs up debts, leaving them with no resources to leave.
It is estimated that one in six women in the UK have experienced economic abuse from a partner or ex-partner in the last year, equivalent to 4.2 million people. The consultation proposes that unmarried couples who have lived together for at least three years or share a child would gain greater financial protection when they separate.
A government minister said the change has been a long time coming and could make all the difference for those trying to escape an abusive relationship. The minister noted that victims often face an unimaginable choice: either stay in an abusive relationship or leave and risk destitution for themselves and their children, because there is no provision for division of assets, financial support, property, or pensions for cohabiting couples.
One survivor, Katie Longhurst, described how her ex-partner stripped her identity and took full control of her life, including her finances. She now campaigns to help others and hopes the consultation will lead to a change in the law, but says much more needs to be done to support survivors and prevent abuse in the first place.
The charity Fear Free echoed that view, saying that even if the proposals are given the go-ahead, a lot more needs to be done to support survivors. The consultation is now open for responses, and campaigners are urging the government to act quickly to close the gap in legal protections for unmarried couples.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| The UK government launched a consultation on financial protections for unmarried couples to help those in abusive relationships, with an estimated one in six women affected, and proposals for cohabiting couples after three years or with a child. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report takes a local angle, focusing on the Wiltshire-based charity Fear Free and featuring a personal survivor story from Katie Longhurst. It emphasises the financial trap that economic abuse creates and the specific vulnerability of cohabiting couples who lack the legal protections of marriage. The tone is sympathetic and supportive of the consultation, while also noting that more support is needed for survivors.
- “When you're in an abusive relationship your independence is completely and utterly stripped away. They take control of the bills, they take control of your bank statements and you're left with absolutely nothing so you think you're dependent on them so you stay in that awful environment because you're too scared to leave.”
- “Many people looking to flee domestic abuse are really hindered by the fact that they have financial constraints and whether that's all the finances around the children or looking after the house or they've tied quite a lot of their finances in which means if they don't have those rights it leaves them highly vulnerable if they were to look to leave.”
- “We know from what we're told by victim survivors that often they face a really unimaginable choice either staying in an abusive relationship or leaving which will mean that they and most importantly their children may well be destitute because there is no provision for the division of assets or any kind of financial support or property or pension or anything like that if they are cohabiting.”
Broadcast Timeline
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