Found: Access to domestic abuse refuges Our work has also highlighted the need to ensure the accessibility

Found: people with learning or physical disabilities and autistic people, mental health step-down units and domestic

Found: specialist housing, retirement and supported living schemes for older and more vulnerable people, domestic

Found: with learning or physical disabilities and people with autism, mental health step-down units and domestic

Found: specialist housing, retirement and supported living schemes for older and more vulnerable people, domestic

Found: For this to be possible, it is vital that every effort is made to support domestic abuse refuges and

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the time taken for school admission decisions to be made for pupils temporarily residing in domestic abuse refuges; and if she will take steps with local authorities to reduce that time.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The government has not carried out a recent assessment of the time taken to secure a school place for children living in domestic abuse refuges, but has changed the School Admissions Code in 2021 to improve support for the in-year admission of vulnerable children and help to reduce to a minimum any gaps in their education.

The 2021 Code requires admission authorities to inform parents of the outcome of their in-year application within 15 school days. Where a parent is having difficulty securing a place following the in-year process, each local authority must have a Fair Access Protocol (FAP) which requires an eligible child to be allocated a school place within 20 school days. The government extended eligibility for the FAP in the new Code to children who are living in a refuge or other relevant accommodation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on how much money was paid for councils to support domestic violence refuge shelters for domestic abuse victims (a) employed but not in receipt of benefits, (b) unemployed and not in receipt of benefits and (c) with no access to funds in each of the last five years.

Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

As set out previously, since 2020 the Department has provided £393.9 million in funding to local councils for the provision of support in domestic abuse safe accommodation - £16.6 million in 2020/21, £125 million in both 2021/22 and 2022/23 and £127.3 million for 2023/24. The links can be found here.

In addition, we have committed to a further £129.7 million for the delivery of these duties in 2024/25. The link can be found here.

This funding is for support which is available to all domestic abuse victims who are residing in refuges and other types of safe accommodation regardless of their employment status.

The Department does not hold employment and benefits data on individuals in domestic abuse safe accommodation services.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make a comparative assessment of the number of domestic abuse survivors who were (a) not in receipt of benefits, (b) employed and (c) both employed and not in receipt of benefits who were admitted to a domestic violence refuge shelter in each of the last five years.

Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

As set out previously, since 2020 the Department has provided £393.9 million in funding to local councils for the provision of support in domestic abuse safe accommodation - £16.6 million in 2020/21, £125 million in both 2021/22 and 2022/23 and £127.3 million for 2023/24. The links can be found here.

In addition, we have committed to a further £129.7 million for the delivery of these duties in 2024/25. The link can be found here.

This funding is for support which is available to all domestic abuse victims who are residing in refuges and other types of safe accommodation regardless of their employment status.

The Department does not hold employment and benefits data on individuals in domestic abuse safe accommodation services.

Found: This can be a barrier to accessing certain types of support (for example, places in domestic abuse

Found: Examples of supported and sheltered accommodation which could fall under the higher-risk regime include domestic

Found: Act 2010 allows service providers to operate single-sex and separate-sex services – such as toilets, domestic

Found: centres and contingency hotels) homeless accommodation settings (for example, hostels and night shelters) domestic

Found: method of protection in Scottish law for services for women, children and young people, including domestic