Rachel Morgan writes:
UK domestic abuse charities are sounding a stark warning about the increasingly insidious tactics employed by perpetrators to control their victims through financial manipulation. The latest figures from Refuge, the nation's largest specialist domestic abuse charity, paint a disturbing picture of a growing problem that requires urgent attention.
Between April 2025 and March 2026, Refuge's specialist unit received 967 referrals for cases involving technology-facilitated or economic abuse – an annual increase of 78% from the preceding year. Within these figures, the number of referrals specifically citing economic abuse more than doubled, rising to 414 from 198. This steep rise underscores the expanding reach and sophistication of abusers' financial manipulation tactics.
One particularly concerning trend is the significant surge in cases involving car finance agreements. Victims are being coerced or manipulated into taking out loans for cars often used by their partners, leaving them with crippling debt and a damaged credit score upon separation. The consequences can be devastating: one woman, identified as Zara*, was left with an £11,000 early termination fee after her ex-partner registered the car in his name without consent.
Another survivor, Nicole*, recounted how her ex-partner took her car and registered it in his name without permission, coercing her into funding subscription payments for a bike. Sara*, a third woman, described being pressured into signing a lease for a luxury car worth over £100,000 despite expressing reluctance to sales staff and arguing with her partner at the dealership.
Refuge is actively supporting survivors through initiatives such as writing letters to lenders to advocate for the write-off of coerced debts. However, the charity is calling on the government to take more comprehensive action by establishing a working group comprising specialist support services, car finance providers, and credit reference agencies to tackle this issue.
Francesca Ferrier, Refuge's Senior Economic Empowerment Partnerships Manager, stressed that many financial institutions currently lack the necessary skills and resources to identify signs of economic abuse, creating significant barriers for survivors seeking to resolve debt and regain financial independence. It is imperative that a more coordinated response is implemented urgently to protect victims from these insidious tactics.