2. What is economic abuse
Economic abuse is a recognised form of domestic abuse. It often occurs in the context of intimate partner violence and involves the control of a partner or ex-partner’s money and finances, as well as the things that money can buy.
Economic abuse can include exerting control over income, spending, bank accounts, bills and borrowing. It can also include controlling access to and use of things like transport and technology that allow clients to work and stay connected socially, as well as property and daily essentials like food and clothing. It can include destroying items and refusing to contribute to household costs.
Economic abuse is often invisible. The abuser seeks to control and isolate the victim-survivor through controlling or coercive behaviour such as:
•retaining their salary or giving them an ‘allowance’;
•forbidding them from accessing work and education;
•restricting access to their private and shared bank accounts;
•convincing or forcing them to take on debt on behalf of the abuser.
In England and Wales, economic abuse is defined in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Although it is not defined in the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 in the same way, it can be relied on when prosecuting a perpetrator. The 2018 Act criminalises ‘coercive control’, which is a pattern of abuse tactics of which economic abuse is one such tactic. This can be evidenced when prosecuting the perpetrator. The 2018 Act only applies to ’romantic relationships’, whereas the English legislation applies to a broader section – ie, family.
The Scottish Women’s Rights Centre has a useful economic abuse legal guide and factsheets at . There are also a variety of resources available at the Surviving Economic Abuse website, .1See also the Introduction to Economic Abuse at