Almost 4 million children in UK affected by economic abuse, charity finds | Children

Nearly 4 million children in Britain are suffering the effects of financial abuse in their families, with some having their pocket money or birthday money stolen by criminals, a charity has found.

Data from the charity Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) revealed that 27% of mothers with children under 18 had experienced behavior considered to be economic abuse in the last year, where a current or former partner has controlled the family’s money.

The research found that criminals used a variety of methods, including preventing mothers from accessing bank accounts and child benefits and refusing to pay child maintenance.

As a result, some children are unable to get essentials, including clothing and food.

One-third of women who experienced economic abuse by a former partner reported that their former partner refused to pay child support, or paid it unreasonably despite being able to afford it.

One in six said a current or ex-partner had stolen money such as birthday present or pocket money from their child, and the same number said they had stopped or tried to stop them from accessing benefits they were entitled to.

One mother, whose children are now adults, quoted by the charity said: “My ex-husband will stop maintenance payments just before Christmas.”

SEA chief executive, Sam Smethers, said: “Economic abuse is a dangerous form of coercive control and it is harming children every day.”

“Our research shows that criminals are stealing children’s pocket money, preventing mothers from receiving child benefit, and refusing to pay child support.

“We urgently need the Government to publish its long-awaited violence against women and girls strategy and prioritize tackling economic abuse. It must close the loopholes that allow abusers to manipulate systems like child maintenance to destroy lives.”

The SEA said mothers are three times more likely to be victims of economic exploitation than women without children; However, this is the first time that the charity has undertaken formal research into its impact on young people.

Smethers said: “When thinking about child abuse… people often think about physical harm and intimidation. But there are other forms of coercive control, and we need to shine a light on that because that’s how you understand abuse.”

Jess Phillips, the Government’s minister for protection and violence against women and girls, said: “Tackling economic abuse will be integral to achieving our target of halving violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will continue to ensure that children and young people are at the heart of this ambition.”