Women's refuges face closure, campaigners say

Coventry refuge voices fears



Women’s lives are at risk from changes to funding for refuges, a Coventry councillor has warned.

Councillor Ed Ruane, lead member for children’s services, fears Government plans to end welfare for the shelters and other short-term supported housing will have catastrophic results.

Women fleeing abusive partners will no longer be able to use housing benefit to find sanctuary under the proposals.

Instead, councils would be given ‘ring-fenced’ grants for short-term supported housing also aimed at homeless people, offenders, people with mental illnesses and drug addicts.

Cllr Ruane said: “Over the last seven years, specialist services for victims of domestic violence have been cut to the bone.

“Preventing housing benefit from being used to pay for refuges is the latest in a long line of policies that strip vulnerable people of support when they need it most.

“If pursued, the reforms will result in a postcode lottery of domestic abuse support services, with further refuges being forced to close their doors and more women and children being turned away from the lifesaving support they offer.

“Without a safe space to escape to, more women and children’s lives will be lost to domestic abuse. The Government’s proposed reforms to supported housing will dismantle our national network of lifesaving refuges and put the lives of women and children trying to escape domestic abuse at risk. This is a matter of life or death.”

Jaime Richards, development and funding officer for Coventry Haven Women’s Aid, said: “Currently, housing benefit provides around half of a refuge’s total income.

“The Government’s proposed model would end a woman’s entitlement to housing benefit - or Universal Credit - when in refuge, and devolve this housing funding to local authorities.

“This would end the last sustainable national income that refuges receive and result in the full devolution of responsibility and resourcing at a time when we already have a postcode lottery of refuge provision.

“Women’s Aid and refuge providers are warning that this local model risks the end of the national network of refuges.”