{"id":49718,"date":"2026-03-30T00:01:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T23:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/womensaid.org.uk\/?p=49718"},"modified":"2026-03-28T16:21:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T16:21:58","slug":"almost-two-thirds-of-domestic-abuse-referrals-rejected-due-to-a-shortage-of-spaces-womens-aid-report-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/womensaid.org.uk\/almost-two-thirds-of-domestic-abuse-referrals-rejected-due-to-a-shortage-of-spaces-womens-aid-report-shows\/","title":{"rendered":"Almost two-thirds of domestic abuse referrals rejected due to a shortage of spaces, Women\u2019s Aid report shows"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><span class=\"TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW170204703 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW170204703 BCX0\">Almost two-thirds of domestic abuse referrals rejected due to a shortage of spaces, Women\u2019s Aid report shows<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW170204703 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Almost two-thirds of domestic abuse referrals rejected due to a shortage of spaces, Women\u2019s Aid report shows<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">National domestic abuse charity Women\u2019s Aid has published its annual\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/womensaid.org.uk\/the-annual-audit-2026\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Domestic Abuse Report<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">, providing a definitive, national picture of the needs and work\u00a0of domestic abuse services. This year\u2019s report is especially poignant, coming on the heels of the publication of the cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls, following Labour\u2019s commitment to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Despite the promises made in the government strategy, the report shows that for the sector to continue delivering lifesaving\u00a0support, urgent, systemic change is needed\u00a0immediately. The report shows that demand for specialist domestic abuse services far outstrips\u00a0the provision that is currently available to survivors.\u00a0Despite a year-on-year increase in bed spaces,\u00a0of the 10,665 women and 11,732 children who were\u00a0supported\u00a0by refuge services last year, almost two thirds (65.2%) of refuge referrals were rejected.\u00a0This marked the highest proportion of referrals rejected in five years, primarily due to a lack of space and capacity.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">While domestic abuse\u00a0remains\u00a0the\u00a0most\u00a0common form\u00a0of VAWG\u00a0and the need for spaces is always high, this unprecedented rate of refusals is a direct result of systemic pressures in the housing system.\u00a0\u00a0A combination of poor commissioning practices,\u00a0inadequate\u00a0funding and a lack of move-on accommodation\u00a0is having a dramatic impact on the availability of lifesaving refuge spaces, forcing refuges to turn women and children away at their point of need.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">This year, the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/womensaid.org.uk\/the-annual-audit-2026\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Domestic Abuse Report<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0also found that:\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Survivors with\u00a0additional\u00a0support needs, or those from migrant or minoritised backgrounds felt\u00a0additional\u00a0challenges when looking for a refuge space. Only 1.1% of refuge vacancies were suitable for wheelchair users, while just 11.5% of vacancies could consider accommodating a woman with no recourse to public funds.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Bedspaces\u00a0remained\u00a0nearly a\u00a0fifth below the Council of Europe\u2019s recommendation.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Despite the fact that\u00a0the impact of domestic abuse on child survivors is significant and that they are now recognised as victims\u00a0in their own right by\u00a0law, the proportion of refuge services that have dedicated children and young people support decreased by 11.6% across the country.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">At least one in eight (13.3%) refuge services received no local authority commissioned funding at all.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Shockingly, refuges run by and for Black and minoritised women were less likely to be commissioned by the local authority, with 42.9% of\u00a0Imkaan-member refuges being fully commissioned compared to the national proportion of 72.4% of all refuges being fully commissioned.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women\u2019s Aid, comments:\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cAs a direct result of consistently poor commissioning decisions, the domestic abuse sector has faced a decades long funding crisis, yet despite this, it continued to deliver lifesaving care to women and children escaping abuse.\u00a0It is clear that if\u00a0we are to tackle the epidemic of violence faced by women and girls, we need the government to urgently address all parts of the system. It is unacceptable that, due to poor decision-making at local level, and the resulting lack of housing and move-on accommodation, women and children are forced to remain in refuges for far longer, leaving countless others unable to receive the support they so desperately need.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cWe also need to see dedicated, ringfenced funding for victims, survivors and those who support them. An unacceptable number of services are\u00a0operating\u00a0on partial or unstable funding, with many relying on reserves and volunteers to sustain essential support \u2014 with direct consequences for survivors, particularly those with more complex needs and those in by and for Black and minoritised services.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cThe reality is that domestic abuse cannot be eradicated without the support and knowledge that specialist domestic abuse services bring. These services understand survivors and the help they need to rebuild their lives. Their value must be recognised for the\u00a0lifesaving\u00a0work they do, and that they are fundamentally the backbone of our country&#8217;s response to ending violence against women and girls. The work of these services must be protected, if we are to finally live in a world where domestic abuse is no longer tolerated.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In addition to adapting to a very demanding landscape,\u00a0the report shows that\u00a0services have also continued to evolve in order to provide support to survivors who experienced new forms of technology-facilitated abuse, as well as those impacted by the wider\u00a0social and political developments, including the far-right riots and the impact of international humanitarian crises.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Among the most prevalent in technology-facilitated abuse\u00a0disclosed\u00a0to services\u00a0were online stalking (78.1%) and non-consensual intimate image sharing (or threats of sharing) (66.4%). The most\u00a0common form\u00a0of technology-facilitated abuse identified as new to services\u2019 experience in the past year was coerced participation in OnlyFans or other online activity.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Women\u2019s Aid urges the government to recognise the value of specialist services and put in place long-term, sustainable investment.\u00a0The government\u00a0must\u00a0expedite\u00a0the welcome plans to review current commissioning standards and set out a new National Commissioning Statement, overseeing supported housing and ensuring there is oversight of poor\u00a0commissioning decisions, prioritising survivor needs over cost-cutting measures.\u00a0Especially when\u00a0it is clear that\u00a0investing\u00a0in non-specialist services leads to survivors flocking to other public services, creating more pressure on those systems.\u00a0Without\u00a0investing in specialist services and breaking down the wider systemic issues, the government will not deliver on its promise of halving VAWG in the next decade\u00a0and survivors will be left with no safe exit route.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">You can\u00a0read more\u00a0and\u00a0download the report\u00a0and\u00a0recommendations\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/womensaid.org.uk\/the-annual-audit-2026\/\">here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Almost two-thirds of domestic abuse referrals rejected due to a shortage of spaces, Women\u2019s Aid report shows\u00a0 Almost two-thirds of domestic abuse referrals rejected due to a shortage of spaces, Women\u2019s Aid report shows\u00a0 National domestic abuse charity Women\u2019s Aid has published its annual\u00a0Domestic Abuse Report, providing a definitive, national picture of the needs and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1322,"featured_media":49719,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pmpro_default_level":"","inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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