Domestic, financial and economic abuse
Domestic, financial and economic abuse can take many forms. Including someone stopping you from earning or using your own money. Or spending your money without your permission. Whatever it is, you don’t have to deal with it on your own.
What are the signs of domestic and financial abuse?
Domestic abuse can be defined as an incident, or pattern, of controlling behaviour. Its aim is to gain or maintain power over someone. And it can happen to anyone. No matter their gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, religion or class.
Financial and economic abuse is a form of domestic abuse.
Recognising domestic abuse
Domestic abuse can be defined as an incident, or pattern, of controlling behaviour. Its aim is to gain or maintain power over someone. And it can happen to anyone. No matter their gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, religion or class.
- Stop you from working or getting to your job.
- Make you hand over control of your bank accounts and stop you accessing your money.
- Make you explain what you’ve spent your money on.
- Withhold money and stop you from buying essentials.
- Take out credit cards or loans in your name.
- Spend your household budget on other things without telling you.
- Withdraw money from your account without your knowledge or permission.
Recognising financial and economic abuse
Financial and economic abuse is a form of domestic abuse. And is usually carried out by a partner, family member, friend or carer who might:
- Stop you from working or getting to your job.
- Make you hand over control of your bank accounts and stop you accessing your money.
- Make you explain what you’ve spent your money on.
- Withhold money and stop you from buying essentials.
- Take out credit cards or loans in your name.
- Spend your household budget on other things without telling you.
- Withdraw money from your account without your knowledge or permission.
How we can support you
We can help and support you, or someone you know, who may be suffering from financial and economic abuse. No judgement or pressure.
We can help you:
- Understand the payments going in and out of your account.
- Reset login details for your internet bank or change card PINs.
- Understand your options if you have a joint account.
- Set up a new bank account or savings account.
- Redirect your bank statements to a different address.
- Help you deal with any debts.
- By sharing details of other organisations that could help keep you safe and provide support.
Dial 999 if you need help urgently:
Call us
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Saturday, 9am to 1pm
Closed Sundays and bank holidays
Ask us to call you
If you can’t call us yourself, then we can call you. Use our contact form to leave your details. One of our specialist team will call you back at a time that suits you.
We can call you back from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
You need to allow 2 working days for us to contact you.
Visit us in branch
Prefer to speak face-to-face? We’ll make time for you. There’s no need to make an appointment.
Make use of a Safe Space
A Safe Space offers discreet support. If you, or a friend or family member, want to access help confidentially, we offer two ways to do this.
On the high street
We support the domestic abuse charity Hestia’s UK SAYS NO MORE (opens in a new window). Their website can show you all places with Safe Space locations in your area — including many Nationwide branches.
There’s no need to make an appointment. You’ll be shown to a private, quiet area where you can contact friends, family or helpful organisations. Or just sit and think.
Online
Every page of our website has a link to our Online Safe Space at the bottom. This is a pop-up which contains similar information to this page, but will not appear in your internet history.
When you exit our Online Safe Space, you will be taken away from where you accessed it, to help conceal that you have visited. This is in case someone is trying to use your device to see what you have been looking at.
Get support from specialist domestic abuse organisations
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, consider seeking professional help and support from organisations like the ones below.
Refuge
Refuge help survivors overcome the physical, emotional, financial and logistical impacts of abuse. And rebuild their lives — free from fear.
They also run the free National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247. You can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Women's Aid
Supporting women and children impacted by domestic abuse.
Men's advice line
Working to increase the safety of men experiencing abuse. Including those who identify as trans and non-binary.
Call them for free, Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm.
Galop National LGBT+ Abuse and Violence Helpline
Run by LGBT+ people, for LGBT+ people impacted by abuse and violence.
Call them for free:
Monday to Thursday, 9:30am to 8pm Friday, 9:30am to 4:30pm.
SignHealth Domestic Abuse Support
If you need support in British Sign Language (BSL), go to the SignHealth website.
SignHealth are a deaf-led team working to improve the wellbeing of deaf people.