It occurs when a person’s access to money, assets, employment, or financial decision-making is deliberately restricted or controlled. Over time, this form of coercive control erodes confidence, autonomy, and the practical ability to leave an unsafe relationship. For many women, financial dependence becomes the single greatest barrier to safety — even after physical violence has been identified.

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The harm caused by economic abuse is deep, cumulative, and often multi-generational.

 

Survivors may emerge from abusive relationships carrying debt they did not consent to, damaged credit histories, interrupted careers, and a profound loss of self-belief. These impacts are compounded for women facing intersecting forms of disadvantage, including disability, migration status, cultural barriers, caring responsibilities, or limited access to secure housing. While frontline DFV services must rightly prioritise immediate physical safety, the long-term financial consequences of abuse are often left unaddressed.

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Safe Haven Community recognises that financial recovery is not a secondary issue — it is central to sustainable safety and wellbeing.

 

merging research highlights the need for trauma-informed, person-centred financial programs that acknowledge the realities of coercive control, rebuild confidence alongside skills, and place the survivor firmly at the centre of their financial capability journey. Without this support, many women remain vulnerable to re-entrapment, ongoing hardship, or continued dependence.

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To help address this gap, Safe Haven has partnered with leading academics to produce a Discussion Paper

 

Beyond Survival: Economic Abuse and the Case for Accessible Trauma-Informed, Person-Centred Financial Capability Programs

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Vecchio, N., Cunningham, J., Scott, A., & Cameron, R.

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This Discussion Paper explores the role of financial capability in recovery from domestic and family violence. 

 

It examines current service limitations, the disproportionate impact of financial abuse on marginalised communities, and the case for specialised, trauma-informed financial programs — including the potential of confidential, online delivery models. We invite you to read the paper and join the conversation on how financial empowerment can become a powerful tool for prevention, recovery, and long-term independence.