Cost-of-living crisis sees rise in calls to domestic violence helpline

Cost-of-living crisis sees rise in calls to domestic violence helpline

Women's Aid chief executive Sarah Benson, left, and helpline manager Linda Smith at Women's Aid HQ in Dublin. Picture: Gary Ashe/Sharpix

A domestic violence charity has said there has been an increase in calls to their helpline due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Women's Aid, a national frontline support service for women affected by domestic abuse, has said there is no respite during the festive season — with an expectation that calls to its 24/7 freephone helpline will increase by 17% during the holiday period.

Many women spend the festive season "walking on eggshells" and experience "sudden flashes of violence directed at themselves and their children", the charity has claimed.

The helpline will remain open every day during Christmas, including December 25 and New Year's Day.

In a statement, the charity said: "For women who have left their abusive relationships, Christmas can be used by their exes to control and abuse both them and their children. 

"Women’s Aid hear disclosures of ex-partners withholding maintenance, not honouring access arrangements and using presents for the children as a coercive bargaining tool. 

Abusive men can use the holidays to threaten the wellbeing of children, using them as pawns to control and intimidate during what should be a time of joy."

The charity added that many women will work hard in an attempt to "keep the peace" for their kids.

According to its data, the helpline will receive 92 calls a day in December, before rising to 108 calls a day in January.

Women’s Aid does not expect a spike in calls on Christmas Day itself.

Women's Aid helpline manager Linda Smith explained: "We usually would see a bit of an increase in volume of calls when the kids go back to school as women might seize the chance to reach out. This still may not feel safe, however, because partners can still be present and monitoring women’s movements and actions. 

"We get a number of calls on a regular basis where a woman is talking and suddenly, mid-sentence the line goes or she might just say I can hear a key in the door. That happens all year round."

Ms Smith noted the cost-of-living crisis is exacerbating situations, with calls in relation to economic abuse increasing in recent times.

She said: "Things like there also may have been restrictions on the use of power in the house, with the heating and so on — women mightn’t be allowed to put the heating on. So some women and their children will probably be spending Christmas in the cold. 

"Women who have separated from abusive partners are also feeling the effects of the cost-of-living crisis as their partner may be withholding child maintenance in order to exercise a continued level of control despite the relationship ending.”

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