Refuges: Domestic Abuse

(asked on 26th June 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of domestic abuse victims who are unable to access refuge services because they have no recourse to public funds.


This question was answered on 9th July 2018

The Department does not centrally hold the number of victims of domestic abuse who are unable to access refuge services in the UK.

The provision of refuge is a devolved matter. We are carrying out a review of how domestic abuse services are delivered locally across England. To inform our review we have commissioned an audit - being run by Ipsos MORI – which will give us a complete picture of domestic abuse provision across England for all victims, enabling us to assess what impact services are having and to identify any gaps in provision. Thereafter we will make decisions on the future arrangements for domestic abuse services.

The Destitute Domestic Violence (DDV) concession lifts the no recourse to public funds condition for eligible individuals, granting a period of three months’ leave outside the immigration rules and the ability to apply for access to public funds from DWP, which may be used to help fund alternative accommodation away from their abuser. Government also part funds Women’s Aid to run ‘Routes to Support’ (formerly UK Refuges Online), which provides support to victims who need to access refuges and provides detailed monitoring and analysis of the availability of bed spaces and other services. The funding also supports the ‘No Woman Turned Away project’, which offers caseworker support to victims who have faced difficulties accessing a refuge, including victims with no recourse to public funds.

Government has consulted on what more can be done to protect domestic abuse victims with no recourse to public funds through the Domestic Abuse Bill, which closed on 31 May. We are currently analysing the 3,200 plus responses received and will carefully consider what future courses of action are necessary.

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