Benefits Or Barriers? Making Social Security Work for Survivors of Violence and Abuse Across the UK’S Four Nations
Benefits or barriers? Making social security work for survivors of violence and abuse across the UK’s four nations June 2019 Written by Marilyn Howard Contents Page Summary and recommendations 2 Introduction 6 Women, austerity and social security 7 Violence Against Women and Girls and approaches in the UK 11 Survivors, social security and ‘exemptions’ 16 Survivors’ social security journey 20 Interactions with immigration and housing 24 Public sector equality duties and VAWG 29 Conclusions 31 Annex 1: summary of UK devolution arrangements 34 Annex 2: summary of main social security cuts and changes since 2010 36 Annex 3: outline of differences in social security across the UK 38 Notes 41 Written by Marilyn Howard Acknowledgments Special thanks to people who read and commented on drafts: in particular, Mary-Ann Stephenson, Nicola Sharp-Jeffs, Nicole Busby, Julie Jarman, Fran Bennett, Baroness Ruth Lister, Jo Ozga, Sarah Mason, Emma Osborne, Lucy Hadley, Liz Law, Rachel Krys. Supported by: The UK Women’s Budget Group, Surviving Economic Abuse, the End Violence Against Women coalition, Equality and Human Rights Commission, University of Bristol, University of Strathclyde. Page | 1 Summary and recommendations Aspects of the social security system undermine the UK Government’s Domestic Abuse Bill. Economic abuse is included in a statutory definition of abuse in the draft Domestic Abuse Bill; but the Bill’s potential is undermined by aspects of the benefits system that give additional scope for abusers to misuse benefits (e.g. the Universal Credit single payment) and by failing to meet survivors’ needs. Social security systems across the UK fail survivors of violence and abuse when they need help most.
[Show full text]