The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has today (Oct 05) announced £6m of funding to support Councils’ domestic abuse services.
The Domestic Abuse Bill will come into law in April 2021, at which point, Councils will have a legal responsibility to offer support and accommodation to victims of domestic abuse and their children.
This funding means that Councils will have time to prepare these services before the law comes into place next year.
Previously, victims and children of victims may have been turned away by Council run services because they simply couldn’t offer them the support that they needed.
Because of the change in the law, thousands more victims are expected to seek support through their local council than before, and therefore will need more funding.
Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing Kelly Tolhurst MP said:
Survivors of domestic abuse need safe refuge in order to escape this heinous crime, and support to start to rebuild their lives.
Councils already provide much needed support, but the landmark Domestic Abuse Bill will mean for the first time councils will have a duty to provide support in safe accommodation for anyone fleeing abuse.
The funding I am announcing today will help councils prepare for this new duty that will see thousands more survivors helped and a generation of their children able to grow up safely and free from fear of abuse.
