Economic abuse: raising awareness - Behind the Headlines

The most recent report from the charity Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) Counting the Cost: The Scale and Impact of Economic Abuse in the UK’ reported that 1 in 7 women in the UK have experienced some form of economic abuse in the last year. This equates to 4.1 million women.

The survey also found that 55% of the participants who had experienced some form of economic abuse had never heard of the term ‘economic abuse’ which is deeply concerning.

Dr Eleanor Rowan, an expert in women and their experiences of the law, considers why economic abuse is a lesser-known form of domestic abuse and explores how awareness can be raised.

Economic abuse is recognised in law as a form of domestic abuse in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. It is defined as ‘any behaviour that has a substantial adverse effect on a person’s ability to— (a) acquire, use or maintain money or other property, or (b) obtain goods or services.’

Economic abuse is perhaps less known because it commonly forms part of a pattern of controlling and coercive behaviour. In such cases, there is a (somewhat understandably) public preoccupation with the immediate physical danger an abuser poses to the victim-survivor. However, economic abuse is ‘out of sight’ which traps the victim-survivor in the relationship with their abuser because they do not have the means to escape. It is insidious, and it is difficult for women to recognise the early signs and red flags when they are unaware of its existence.

When most women do become aware, it’s often too late, and they have become economically trapped. Maybe economic abuse is less known too because of the persistent nature of gendered financial practices in some relationships. It is confronting for some to hear that men in heterosexual relationships controlling all financial matters may be a sign of economic abuse. Taboos or embarrassment persist in society too; many people do not talk freely and openly about finances with friends and family. Educated, professional women may also see economic abuse as something that cannot possibly happen to them.

The research shows that economic abuse does not discriminate. Angela Littwin writes that abusive men have adapted their tactics from restricting non-working female partners to exploiting earning women. Economic abuse is, Littwin states, a ‘patriarchal phenomenon’ which has adapted ‘to wage… war on women’s growing equality.’

Unsurprisingly, I am interested in the role the law must play in making the UK public more aware of economic abuse, both in demonstrating that economic abuse will not be tolerated and in ensuring financial institutions and other service providers must do more to help in the fight against it.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 was a crucial first step in recognising economic abuse as a form of domestic abuse, but awareness must now be raised about needed reform in specific areas of the law. The media can help in this campaign.

Recently, the UK Supreme Court (UKSC) in Waller-Edwards v One Savings Bank Plc [2025] UKSC 22 recognised the economic abuse of women for the first time in a judgment concerning undue influence in the remortgage context. Whilst this recognition is important, unfortunately, some media reports were legally inaccurate about the impact of the case. For instance, The Times entitled an article on this case as: ‘Lenders must probe joint borrowers for signs of exploitation’. Whilst I have argued in my research that lenders should be legally required to scope for economic abuse in joint borrowing cases, this change in the law was - regrettably - not effected by the UKSC in Waller-Edwards. The Times article incorrectly states that lenders are legally required to do more to protect victim-survivors than they truly are. To quote Nicola Sharp-Jeffs (the leading international voice on economic abuse and founder of SEA), misreporting ‘causes confusion and makes the change needed harder to achieve.’ There needs to be a coordinated response to economic abuse and accurate reporting on the law, in the media, is essential.

If you suspect that you or someone you know is being subjected to economic abuse, please seek help and guidance through the Surviving Economic Abuse website