Financial support for victims of domestic abuse
Here are the resources that are available to victims of domestic abuse, and how to access them.
Key takeaways
- Domestic violence can take many forms, including physical attacks, mental or emotional abuse and financial abuse.
- Call 1800RESPECT for free advice on what resources are available to you and how to best access support.
- If you're in immediate danger or concerned for your safety please call 000.
Support services for victims of domestic violence
You can speak to someone about government domestic violence support services by calling Centrelink on 132 850.
The Australian government offers a range of financial assistance and other support services for victims of domestic violence.
- Income support payments
- Crisis payments
- Exemptions from "seeking employment" welfare requirements
- Assistance collecting child support
You may be eligible for government support if:
- You have had to leave your home due to violence
- You are in a financial hardship situation resulting from domestic abuse
- You are unable to look for work as a result of the temporary or permanent injuries or illness resulting from domestic violence
- Applying for child support would put you or your family's safety at risk
- Another adult or child needs to be removed from or added to a Medicare card
You are also able to access the services of government social workers. They can provide:
- Short-term counselling and support
- Information about available government and community support services
- Support if you are having difficulties meeting the requirements of these services
If you need to leave your home quickly, you can apply for a one-off crisi payment from Centrelink by following these steps.
Community and government assistance programs
1800RESPECT
This is the national family violence and sexual assault counselling service. Operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you can call 1800 737 732 to access free and confidential professional counselling services.
Kids help line
If you're aged 5 to 25 you can call 1800 55 1800 for a confidential and private counselling service specifically for young people.
Daisy app
This app is created by 1800RESPECT and is able to connect you to helpful services in your local area, including legal, housing, financial and children's services. It explains what to expect when you get in touch with different services.
Lifeline
Call 131 114 any time for domestic violence crisis support.
MensLine
Men are also victims of domestic violence, and can call 1300 789 978 for family and domestic abuse support.
White Ribbon
You can find a more complete list of national and state-based support and assistance programs at White Ribbon.
Financial Counselling Australia
You can call 1800 007 007 to access free resources and advice from a private financial counsellor.
Financial challenges faced by survivors of domestic abuse
Victims and survivors of domestic violence often face a range of financial difficulties, both before and after leaving a relationship.
Problem: Coerced debt (or forced debt)
An abuser might take out a credit card in their partner’s name and rack up large debts on it, or take out a home loan or other financing in their partner’s name. This is even easier if you still have joint accounts. The victim may have been coerced into it, or might not even know that it happened until a collections agency comes for the money. This can have the added effect of damaging a survivor’s credit score, making it even harder for them to find housing or employment, buy a car or secure financing later.
What to do
- Take legal action. You can take legal action against the abuser. There is free legal support available.
- Check your credit score. You can check your credit score (for free) if you suspect your partner may have taken out debt in your name.
Problem: Limited access to money
A financially abusive partner may have taken control of all economic aspects of the relationship, which can be difficult to get back after separation. It's important to make sure you have access to enough money to pay for day-to-day living expenses.
What to do
- Apply for financial assistance. Familiarise yourself with any financial assistance programs you can use after leaving. These can be both standard welfare programs and special assistance for survivors of domestic violence.
- Seek support from friends and family. Consider building a mental (or written and safely hidden) list of people you can depend on for help, in the form of a place to stay or anything else.
- Set up an emergency fund. If possible, create and take advantage of opportunities to put some money away for yourself.
Problem: Housing difficulties
Finding safe and affordable housing is one of the biggest challenges facing survivors. In many cases they will not have a rental history, or will be burdened with coerced debt.
What to do
- Seek housing shelters and accommodation services. Support services for survivors of domestic violence can include accommodation support, and there are special shelters dedicated to helping survivors who have left abusive relationships. Call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) for help to find shelters near you.
What does psychological and financial abuse look like?
An abusive relationship doesn’t always start off that way. It can sometimes be difficult to tell when one’s partner is being abusive. Similarly, it can also be hard to tell when someone you know might be in a violent relationship.
This is particularly true of financial and psychological abuse. These are just as much domestic violence as physical assault is, and can be equally relevant indicators that a relationship has broken down.
What is economic abuse?
Some examples of economic abuse are:
- Forcing a person to give up control of their assets or income
- Claiming someone else’s social security payments or other payments against their wishes
- Making someone sign over control of their finances or assets
- Forcing a person to take on debt or sign any other type of financial contract against their wishes
- Preventing someone from keeping a job, such as by threatening them or deliberately getting them fired, or preventing someone from looking for work
- Removing, keeping, disposing of, preventing access to or otherwise messing with their partner’s property, whether it’s money or anything else, without consent
- Not giving someone access to joint or family income (or their own income) meaning they're unable to make any purchases without requesting
If a partner is doing any of these it may qualify as domestic violence. Note that economic abuse is not exclusive to couples.
What is the definition of psychological or emotional abuse?
Psychological and emotional abuse may include behaviours like:
- Stalking someone, either by following them or hanging around places they know the victim will go
- Repeatedly contacting someone against their wishes, regardless of how threatening or non-threatening the contact is
- Repeatedly taunting or insulting someone, including comments around ethnicity, sexuality or anything else
- Blackmail, including threatening to disclose information about a person to their friends or family without consent
- Threatening to withhold someone’s medication
- Stopping a person from making or keeping connections with their friends or family, or their culture or religion
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