Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA)
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seacharity.bsky.social
Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA)
@seacharity.bsky.social
680 followers 310 following 160 posts
Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) is the only UK charity dedicated to raising awareness of #EconomicAbuse and transforming responses to it. Please note: this account is not monitored 24/7.
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Introducing our new good practice guide for financial services - a roadmap to help the industry make good practice consistent across the sector.

Because when firms get it right, the impact is not just life-changing but lifesaving. Read the guide: survivingeconomicabuse.org/wp-content/u...
We'd like to say thank you to all of our guests who joined us and who share our vision.

Read more about the progress already made in our good practice guide - and how you can be part of the solution: survivingeconomicabuse.org/wp-content/u...
The financial services sector plays a uniquely powerful role in stopping economic abuse. Every account, loan, and policy can be used either to facilitate harm or to enable safety and freedom.

That is why coming together yesterday felt like a significant moment in our mission to stop economic abuse.
And our CEO, Sam Smethers, left us with this message:

"Too many lives are at stake, and looking at how far we've come already, I know if we work together, we can do it. When every system plays its part, victim-survivors don't just survive - they recover, rebuild, and thrive."
Natalie, a survivor and Surviving Economic Abuse Ambassador, joined us to share her story.

She reinforced how coercive and controlling behaviour sits at the heart of domestic abuse. But financial services can truly be part of a system that saves lives.
Sarah Pritchard, Deputy CEO at the Financial Conduct Authority, cautioned that there is no quick fix but echoed how vital collaboration in the sector will be and that "everyone in the room today can make change happen."
Eric Leenders, Managing Director of Personal Finance, UK Finance, reiterated that, although celebration is important, we need to go further.

"Supporting victim-survivors to establish financial independence is our North Star. It's all we're seeking to achieve. And there is more to be done."
At the launch of our financial services good practice guide yesterday, the message was clear: we've made incredible progress but there's more work to do.

Jose Carvalho, Head of Wealth & Personal Banking at HSBC, reiterated: "Collaboration is vital. We must work together to create a better system."
Today, we’re joined by senior leaders from banks, building societies, industry bodies and parliamentarians at London Guildhall to launch our guide.

We will celebrate the progress already made and explore how we can work together to make this good practice the industry standard.
Introducing our new good practice guide for financial services - a roadmap to help the industry make good practice consistent across the sector.

Because when firms get it right, the impact is not just life-changing but lifesaving. Read the guide: survivingeconomicabuse.org/wp-content/u...
That’s why we’re calling for all local authorities and social housing providers to urgently develop clear policies and practices for disregarding and writing off debts caused by domestic, including economic, abuse.
These harmful social housing policies compound and enable abuse, forcing victim-survivors into homelessness and preventing them from rebuilding their lives.
Victim-survivors are prevented from accessing stable housing because of policies which exclude them from social housing allocations due to rent arrear debts. Debts which are a direct consequence of domestic, including economic, abuse.
#DebtTrapNation by @kbrickell.bsky.social and Mel Nowicki is an important new book which sheds light on how housing policies are failing domestic abuse victim-survivors ⬇️
Published today on #WorldHomelessDay: my book Debt Trap Nation – a deep dive into how government policy is driving families into homelessness & debt.

All royalties to @seacharity.bsky.social 💜

Families aren't failing. They're being failed.

📖 www.agendapub.com/page/detail/...

#DebtTrapNation
A new report from the Domestic Abuse Commissioner has revealed that domestic abuse is ‘everyday business’ for family courts.

Yet women and children are still being put at significant risk posed by domestic abusers.

⬇️
Today, our CEO Sam Smethers joins expert panellists to discuss the role of businesses in the government's mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

We'll explore the actions businesses can take to support survivors and stop economic abuse #LAB25
Yesterday, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury highlighted how important financial inclusion is for economic abuse victim-survivors, particularly those impacted by joint mortgage abuse.

Thank you for raising this important issue at #LAB25 @lucyrigby.bsky.social
It’s brilliant to join partners from across the violence against women and girls (VAWG) sector at #LAB25. We stand united in our calls on the Government to meet its promises to halve VAWG in a decade.
Over a year ago the government was elected on a mission to halve VAWG, but it is yet to publish its strategy.

This is a vital opportunity to reset its approach. We call on government to listen to VAWG orgs, centre women and girls and ensure that VAWG is a political priority.
Following the #LabourPartyConference?

Keep an eye out for the #VAWGTakover to hear how government must centre women and girls in its plans.
The Labour Party Conference begins this Sunday (28th) and experts from the SEA team will be heading to Liverpool to speak at four key events.

Find us to hear practical and thought-provoking discussions on everything from post-separation abuse to urgently needed legal reforms.
The Government must fund specialist support, invest in prevention, and remove barriers, such as No Recourse to Public Funds, for migrant survivors to ensure all victim-survivors can reach safety.
We stand with others in the sector in condemning the weaponisation of violence against women and girls to push a clear anti-migrant agenda that distracts from the real causes of abuse.