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Charities call for default split Universal Credit payments to avoid worsening domestic abuse

Charities and housing experts have called for Universal Credit payments to be split between couples as a default to avoid alerting the abusive partners of domestic violence victims.

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Charities call for split UC payments between all couples to avoid worsening domestic abuse #ukhousing

Charities say victims have been abused by partners when trying to request split UC payment #ukhousing

The Work and Pensions Select Committee heard evidence on Wednesday from charities and housing providers into how the system of paying UC to just one person in a couple could impact victims of domestic abuse.

Charities said victims of domestic violence have experienced abuse from their partner when trying to request a split payment and that only a minority of women had requested the split payment “because of the fear of the abuse that might happen if perpetrators found out”.

Under the system, couples must make joint benefit claims and a single payment is paid monthly into one bank account. Charities have warned this gives abusive people more opportunity to exert control over their partner.


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Domestic violence victims can request a split payment but the charities said this could be noticed by the abusive partner and worsen the abuse. They are calling for split UC payments to be the default for couples.

But in a letter to the committee chair published Tuesday Kit Malthouse, minister for family support, housing and child maintenance said the government is not currently considering split payments for couples because UC is meant to mirror the world of work.

He also disputed that a single UC payment to a couple will exacerbate domestic abuse because other benefits are paid by the same method.

MPs on the select committee suggested instead of a default split payment for all couples, a separate discretionary payment could be introduced which domestic abuse victims could access through Job Centres, alongside a fully trained direct point of contact for refuges at each centre who can assist with sensitive claims.

Nicola Kyser-Forrest, homelessness service manager and temporary accommodation and support service team manager at Calderdale Council, said: "We’ve had women who have told us they have experienced abuse when trying to request a split payment. A minority of women have requested it because of the fear of the abuse that might happen if perpetrators found out."

Refuge reports that one in five people in the UK have experienced financial abuse in an intimate relationship and 60% of all cases are reported by women.

Demelza Lobb, head of tech abuse at Refuge, said: “Customisation of payments leads to such risks that we don’t see women request split payments. If it was by default, those women would have funds. We work with thousands of women a day, and we’ve not seen a split payment been made.”

 

The withholding of funds by an abusive partner can make it more difficult for survivors to escape the relationship. The committee heard that as UC payments are monthly, survivors could be left for longer periods without any funds to support themselves or their children.

Marilyn Howard, leader of research into financial abuse and UC at Women’s Aid, said: “Integrated Universal Credit in effect de-labels benefits, importantly for children. The concern there is that we know from previous research that payments labelled for children are more likely to be spent on them.”

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