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Only 15 per cent of women experiencing economic abuse seek help in Australia, according to a new report that found support was hard to find or difficult to access.
The Centre for Women’s Economic Safety report, released on Wednesday, found services for victims were “few and far between” despite soaring prevalence nationwide.
The lack of specialist economic abuse services means 44 per cent of those who tried to seek support were unable to access it.
Economic abuse is a form of domestic and family violence that can take many different forms — including controlling behaviours such as restriction, exploitation and sabotage.
The pattern of behaviour can include controlling a victim’s access to bank accounts, hiding financial information, manipulating finances, sabotaging employment opportunities or refusing to contribute to household bills.
Centre director Rebecca Glenn called for State and Federal governments to ensure more support and better access was available to help victim-survivors.
“Despite its prevalence, services that support women experiencing economic abuse are few and far between, meaning many women who seek support are unable to find it,” Ms Glenn said.
“The provision of violence and trauma-informed financial counselling, legal services and social work programs must be tailored to the unique challenges economic abuse presents.
“This requires investment in the provision of services and the promotion of services that support women experiencing economic abuse.”
A landmark Federal inquiry into the issue last year highlighted how widespread the issue is in Australia. The inquiry’s 152-page report, tabled in December 2024, contains 61 recommendations.
Chairman of the parliamentary joint committee on human rights Zaneta Mascarenhas proposed the inquiry after meeting a domestic violence survivor in her Perth seat of Swan, who was struggling to pay debts her abuser had accumulated in her name while she was in a coma.
Ms Mascarenhas said the committee was still waiting for a Government response to the report.
She said the inquiry had played an important role in highlighting the scale of financial abuse in Australia.
Ms Mascarenhas said the prevalence of financial abuse, particularly for women and elderly Australians, was unexpected, as was the lengths perpetrators would go to to weaponise financial and government systems against their victims.
“I was surprised by the scale of abuse we saw of those systems — seeing that it’s not just financial systems, but it’s government systems as well,” she said.
“I’m proud that the Federal Labor Government made a commitment to have a look at things like our tax system and our social security systems.
“I think it’s important that everyone has a role to play when it comes to domestic violence, including the Federal Government.”
Ms Mascarenhas said victims’ inability to connect to support was a theme throughout the inquiry, which heard that a “patchwork quilt” of support across various institutions was hard to navigate.
“My observation was that… there’s help behind a door but sometimes you don’t even know that there’s a door there, and then, how (do you) open that door?” she said.
Barriers to seeking support include a lack of knowledge of the depth of financial abuse, language barriers, safety concerns and issues with travel or connectivity.
Ms Mascarenhas said the crisis helpline 1800RESPECT, which has evolved since its inception in 2010, now has a welcome dedicated pathway to direct survivors to financial services.
The Federal Government on Tuesday announced a $41 million investment in 1800RESPECT after a 3000 per cent surge in demand for the service.
Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said the need for dynamic services and options for women contacting the crisis line had “grown really exponentially”.
When the service was established during the then Gillard Labor government 15 years ago, it received 11,000 calls in one year, she said.
“Last financial year, this service had 342,000 contacts,” Ms Plibersek said of this service, which now offers alternative contact points such as video calls, text and chat options.
“These investments are beginning to make a difference. We have to acknowledge success when we see it,” she said.
“But do we think we’ve done enough? Not enough. Not while there is one victim of family, domestic or sexual violence will this Government rest.”
Opposition leader Sussan Ley on Tuesday acknowledged the Government’s contribution to 1800RESPECT.
It comes after she urged Australia to “maintain the rage” over the insidious issue of domestic violence during a powerful speech in Parliament on Monday.
1800RESPECT - Phone 1800 737 732 or text 0458 737 732
Phone 000 if you are in danger now.
