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Barriers to seeking help 

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Please note: the following contains details of domestic abuse, including violence, and mentions of suicidal ideation, self-harm and suicide attempts, which some readers may find distressing.

Our previous research found that over half of those who had experienced coerced debt hadn’t sought help with their debts.xxiii This research found that even more of those than we had previously reported had not sought help with their debts – almost three-quarters (70%). This was slightly higher among female respondents (73%) than male respondents (68%). Just 10% of respondents sought help with their coerced debts as soon as it happened, and this was significantly higher among men (15%) than women (5%), which paints a worrying picture of disclosure, particular for women, who face more severe impacts from abuse.

Fig. 6 Responses to the question of whether they sought support for their coerced debts, segmented by gender and additional vulnerability    

Graph shows and overwhelming majority (around 70%) of those surveyed did not seek any help or support

The data highlights the significant emotional and practical barriers that prevent people from seeking help, even when they are experiencing serious financial difficulty.

Stigma

Shame and embarrassment were the most commonly reported obstacles, with nearly half of respondents (45%) saying they felt unable to ask for help for this reason. These feelings were slightly more pronounced among women (52%) and people with additional vulnerabilities (51%), which demonstrates how feelings of stigma can be compounded by intersecting circumstances.

Fear of consequences

More than a third of respondents (35%) said they were afraid of how someone else, such as a partner or family member, might react if they sought support. This again affected slightly more women (38%) and those with additional vulnerabilities (37%).

Not recognising the need for help

A substantial number of respondents did not recognise their need for support, which echoes our previous research which explored levels of awareness and understanding. Almost a third (32%) said they did not think they needed any help, while a similar proportion (30%) reported that they did not know what help was available.

Unable to seek help

Practical and cognitive pressures also prevented people from seeking help. One in five respondents (20%) said they did not have the capacity to seek help, reflecting the toll that financial stress, emotional strain and competing demands can take for an individual in a domestic abuse situation.

Worrying about the financial impact of seeking help

Concerns about credit scores were also a barrier for some (20%), particularly among men (28%), indicating that fear of long-term financial consequences can discourage people from accessing support that could improve their situation. This echoes research conducted by the Centre for Responsible Credit, which found that concerns around credit scores can deter people in financial difficulty from getting support like debt advice.xxiv

Overall, the findings show that barriers to seeking help are rarely about a lack of need. Instead, they are rooted in stigma, fear, limited awareness and limited capacity.

Fig 7: Reasons for not seeking support with coerced debt segmented by gender and additional vulnerability    

Reasons Total
I felt ashamed or embarrassed to ask for help 45%
I was afraid of how someone (e.g. partner, family member) might react 35%
I didn’t think I needed any help or support 32%
I didn’t know what help was available 30%
I was concerned about the impact on my credit score 20%
I didn’t have the capacity to seek help 20%

Coerced debt outcomes

We know that many victim-survivors are too scared to report the abuser to the police and for those who do criminal justice outcomes are poor.* Even if a victim-survivor manages to secure a criminal justice outcome, it does not address the devastating impact of coerced debt. Therefore, often the only way a victim-survivor can achieve a just outcome is to have the coerced debts written off by their lender, either in part or in full.

As we have stated previously, we do not believe a victim-survivor should have to repay debts that have been accrued through coercion, but decisions about write-off are at a lender’s discretion and based on a number of factors.

In our ‘Too close to home’ report, we described the experience of one of our debt advice clients, Anita*, who told us how life-changing it was to have half of her £52,000 worth of coerced debts written off.

Fig. 8: Responses to whether they had debts written off or tried to get debts written off

  At least one debt written off in part or full   Have not tried getting any debts written off 
Total 28% 55%
Male 45% 39%
Female 11% 74%
Additional vulnerability 17% 67%

As this chart shows, the majority of victim-survivors did not try to get their debts written off, and this was significantly higher among women and those with additional vulnerabilities, which paints a worrying picture for outcomes for these groups.

This data also indicates that most people with coerced debts are repaying, and other data from our survey suggests that this often causes financial hardship. Based on the data on credit information, people may be repaying because they are worried about the impact of not doing so on their credit score, or because they aren’t aware of what help is available to them.

If some people are having their debts written off in part, this suggests they may be accessing conventional forbearance like reduced payments.

Would you like to find out more?

Email us to discuss or request more information about this report at policy@stepchange.org