Why Economic Abuse Is Used
Restrict the resources. Restrict the choices.
Access to economic resources affects where we live as well as our ability to buy food, obtain childcare, get to work, and meet everyday needs.
By restricting a woman's access to money or damaging her ability to generate and retain resources of her own, an abusive former partner can make independent choices increasingly difficult.
Financial pressure can restrict housing options, interfere with employment, make legal representation harder to afford or leave a woman dependent upon payments and resources her former partner continues to control.
This can allow control to continue after physical separation. Economic Abuse can continue or escalate after separation through finances, debts, property, child maintenance, employment or legal and financial systems.
The less you have access to,
the fewer choices you may be able to make independently.
Why It Can Be Effective
The resources you need to leave are the ones being restricted.
Money affects where you can live, how you travel, arrange childcare, obtain legal advice and meet everyday needs. By restricting your access to income, savings or credit, a former partner can limit the choices available to you and make leaving or establishing an independent life harder.400, 507
Separation does not necessarily end his access to your finances. Shared debts, property and other financial obligations can provide ways to continue the abuse without being physically present. Meanwhile, damaged credit, depleted savings and debts in your name can restrict your options long after the relationship has ended.200, 404, 500, 506
Resolving these problems also takes resources. Dealing with creditors, replacing lost income and managing financial disputes can consume the time, money and energy you need to work, care for your children and plan ahead. Immediate financial pressures can leave little room to rebuild.404, 507
The pattern can also be difficult for others to recognise. Actions involving joint accounts, maintenance or financial disputes may appear to be ordinary disagreements when considered separately. Viewed together, they can reveal how your access to resources and independence is being restricted.100, 400, 404, 507
The Impact
The impact extends far beyond money.
Economic abuse can affect almost every area of your life, from keeping a roof over your head and maintaining employment to meeting everyday expenses and caring for your children.508, 529
The consequences can also follow you into the future. Debt and damaged credit can make it harder to rent a home, secure a loan or access the financial resources you need, even after you have regained control of your finances.510, 521, 529
As these difficulties accumulate, the pressure can affect your physical and mental health, your relationships and the time and energy you have for your children.529, 579 These are often the very things you depend upon most when trying to rebuild your life.
Of people experiencing economic abuse who reported resulting debt, 40% said it would take years to repay, if they could repay it at all.510
Financial Stability
Debt, depleted savings, damaged credit and difficulty meeting everyday costs can continue long after an individual tactic has ended.
Independence & Choice
Reduced access to money and resources can limit choices about housing, employment, transport, childcare, professional advice and the ability to establish an independent life.
Emotional & Mental Wellbeing
Economic Abuse has been associated with depression, anxiety, PTSD and psychological distress. The continual demands of dealing with financial problems can also consume time and mental capacity.
Long-term Security
Debt, damaged credit, disrupted employment and depleted resources can continue affecting housing, employment and financial opportunities after separation.
How This Section Works
How Economic Abuse is carried out
Research into Economic Abuse has identified recurring tactics and actions that former partners can use to achieve particular objectives.
The information below draws on peer-reviewed research to show these behaviours in more detail. Tactics describe the strategies that may be used; actions show the specific ways those tactics can be carried out.
Roll over a tactic category below to see the actions used to achieve the objectives.
What Comes Next?
From recognition to response.
Recognising the tactics used against you is an important first step.
The next step is to explore the countermeasures that can help you respond. Countermeasures are the preventative and responsive actions that can be used to reduce the impact of a tactic or stop it from occurring.
General preventative and responsive actions that can help reduce the impact of any tactic.
An in-depth Guide covering Economic Abuse tactics and countermeasures in detail.