Those fleeing abuse were already 'in crisis' before the pandemic and ensuing cost-of-living crisis. But now, those who manage to get away from their abusers are facing the choice between feeding their children or themselves as they bid to restart their lives.
Birmingham and Solihull Women's Aid has been revealing some of the struggles that the people it helps have faced. One such person is mum-of-one Rohana - not her real name - who fled her abusive partner with her son.
She told BirminghamLive how she was eating just one meal a day as she battled with the spiralling costs of things like utility bills. She is just one example of how those rebuilding their lives as they move from a refuge into their own home are being hit hard by the cost-of-living crisis.
Others rehomed from temporary accommodation have spoken of concerns around putting the "heating on, washing or using household electrical items", Birmingham and Solihull Women's Aid said. But domestic abuse services are also under strain as demand for safe spaces soars.
Financial struggles, a trigger for abuse, have created a greater demand for these refuge places, while the crisis has meant it is now more costly than ever for families already in refuge to leave. The cost of rehoming a woman and two children from refuge accommodation is £5,000 more than it was two years ago, analysis from Loughborough University revealed.
"Women were in crisis prior to the pandemic and the cost of living crisis, but the situation many of our services are now finding themselves in is even more acute," Anna Fawcett, income generation and corporate relationships manager at Birmingham and Solihull Women's Aid, told BirminghamLive.
"In refuge, women pay personal contribution towards their utilities in refuge which hasn’t changed –we haven’t passed on the higher cost to women. This is having an impact on our running costs, and means we are upping our fundraising to ensure we can continue our work."
The cap on their personal contribution gives women living in refuge a "buffer", but women still need to buy food, clothes and essentials for themselves and their children, she stressed. She added: "Refuge is emergency temporary accommodation, but women and families are staying longer than ever, and it means the utility and rent costs when they go out into the community are a real shock.
"We are already seeing women who are concerned about moving on to their own homes as a consequence which is completely understandable."
The charity is "concerned" about the impact on women in, or moving into, the community. "Refuge is only a small number of the women we're supporting on a day to day basis," added Mrs Fawcett.
"Women in the community often tell us they are skipping meals to make sure their children eat. We’re also seeing women very concerned about putting the heating on, washing or using household electrical items.
"It means that on top of supporting women with the trauma from the abuse they have experienced, we’re also offering support for the worries about surviving day to day life. It is incredibly concerning for us and with winter only a few months away we will be watching the situation very closely to ensure we can support as much as we can."
In the first quarter of 2022, Hestia, a London domestic abuse charity, saw a 30% rise in demand for its services, including its domestic abuse refuges. Rohana told the service: "Sometimes I think ‘Why did I call the police?’ because at least my son was being provided for and we had food.
"Now we have nothing. But then I think at least we are safe and that’s worth a lot. But it’s very hard. I only eat one meal a day – everything goes on my son.
"The system is not working for victims of domestic abuse and it’s only going to get harder. I’m exhausted and I’m dreading the next lot of gas and electricity bills.”
