Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to provide emergency support to domestic abuse (a) survivors and (b) services during the cost of living crisis.

Tackling domestic abuse is a priority for this Government. A key part of this is making sure victims and survivors get the support they need.

The Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan, which we published in March, invests over £230 million, including over £140 million specifically for supporting victims and survivors. The commitments in the Plan include doubling funding for the National Domestic Abuse Helpline.

The Plan also committed to establish trials of a ‘flexible fund’, which charities could use to provide extra money to victims and survivors in light of cost of living pressures. This money could be used to help them flee an abuser.

The Government is aware that rises in the cost of living will also have an impact on charitable organisations, as well as those they are supporting.

That is why, with the Ministry of Justice, we are delivering on our commitment in the Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan to provide multi-year funding, where possible, for support services. We have already launched funding competitions which do this, including the Violence against Woman and Girls: Specialist and Support Services competition.

This will offer more stability and consistency for service users, as services will not be dependent on yearly grants. This will help to continue the delivery of high quality support throughout any increases in the cost of living.