Nicola Sturgeon urged to set up fund to help women with costs of fleeing abuse | Domestic violence

A leading charity in Scotland has accused Nicola Sturgeon’s government of making women and children suffering domestic abuse “a footnote” in its response to the cost of living crisis.

Scottish Women’s Aid (SWA), a domestic abuse charity, warned that “the needs of women and children experiencing domestic abuse have slipped down the priority list”, as the organisation launched a campaign to highlight the cost of leaving an abusive relationship.

“With winter upon us and costs spiralling, women without access to additional funds to support them must choose between staying with abusers or experiencing homelessness and destitution,” said Dr Marsha Scott, SWA chief executive.

“Children’s and women’s needs must be a headline in Scotland’s response to the cost of living crisis, not a footnote explaining why they are an afterthought,” she said.

She called on the government to keep promises it had previously made to women and children, including the establishment of a “leaving fund” to cover crisis costs and bridge the gap before a first universal credit payment is made, a recommendation that was accepted by the government in 2020 but which has yet to be enacted.

Alison Clark (not her real name), 36, left an abusive relationship in 2019, and she and her three-year-old son were forced to couch-surf with relatives across Scotland for months while waiting to access benefits. “I left in a hurry and didn’t take paperwork with me,” she said.

“That delayed my application, and I didn’t have money for a flat as my partner had supported us financially – so we were essentially homeless for months, moving all over the country and just relying on family.

“At times I did think about going back to my partner,” Clark said. “If there had been a fund, I could have settled somewhere and could have found some work to provide a stable home for my son.”

Sara Cowan, coordinator of the Scottish Women’s Budget Group, said promises by the Scottish government had become “even more critical” in the past two years, amid rising costs. “The mechanisms for a leavers’ fund need to be prioritised as part of the response to the cost of living crisis, and two years on from accepting the recommendation it is now time for action,” Cowan told the Observer.

Sandy Brindley, chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, said it was “disappointing” that the leaving fund was still not available after more than two years. “Leaving an abusive relationship can be incredibly difficult for women, even without financial and housing barriers,” she said. “When these barriers are there, the cost of leaving can be simply unaffordable for too many women in Scotland. Safety should not have a price tag.”

The Scottish Women’s Rights Centre (SWRC) and One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) said they supported the calls for further action.

Katy Mathieson, SWRC coordinator, highlighted financial barriers for women who seek legal representation, while Marion Davis, head of policy and strategy at OPFS, said her organisation had seen women face a choice between “homelessness and using foodbanks or staying in an extremely dangerous situation”.

A Scottish government spokesperson said it was “very concerned about the additional hardship women and children experiencing domestic abuse are facing as a result of the cost of living crisis”, and that the government was working with women’s organisations to discuss how support could be developed and delivered.

“We have allocated almost £3bn in this financial year that will help people facing the increased cost of living – including £1bn in providing services and financial support not available elsewhere in the UK,” the spokesperson said.