THE SOUTHERN Domestic Abuse Service, which covers Whitehill and Bordon, has challenged Government proposals for funding changes which, it believes, could see the closure of women’s refuges, putting the lives of vulnerable women and children at risk.

Concern has been triggered following the release - by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Work and Pensions - of plans to remove refuges and other short-term supported housing from the welfare system, meaning vulnerable women will not be able to pay for placements using Housing Benefit.

Responsible for managing refuges that offer support and temporary accommodation to women and children escaping domestic abuse, the Southern Domestic Abuse Service argues that Housing Benefit is the last guaranteed source of income available to its refuges. Making up half of refuge revenue, critics say that withdrawal of Housing Benefit would remove refuges’ autonomy, with future funding levels based on local-authority projection rather than response to immediate need.

The document reveals that a new grant-funding model has been designed for short-term supported housing which will “lead to provision being commissioned at local level and funded locally through a ring-fenced grant, and underpinned by a new local planning and oversight regime”.

“All the funding for housing costs (including rent and eligible service charges) that were previously met from Housing Benefit, will instead be allocated to local authorities to fund services that meet the needs of their local areas,” the Government document says.

“This will give local authorities an enhanced role in planning, funding and commissioning short-term supported housing in their area.”

According to the document, this will “entirely remove short-term supported housing from the welfare system (Housing Benefit and the housing element in Universal Credit).”

Covering East Hampshire, as well as Fareham, Gosport and Havant boroughs, Southern Domestic Abuse Service chief executive officer Claire Lambon registered her concern in a briefing paper (prior to a backbench debate on the future of refuge funding) for the anti-domestic-violence organisation Women’s Aid, sent to seven MPs including East Hampshire’s Damian Hinds.

Ms Lambon said refuges were “more than just a bed for the night”.

She added: “They are specialist services, providing safe and anonymous shelter and support for women and children escaping domestic abuse.

“Demand for refuge remains high - on just one day this year, 90 women and 94 children were turned away.”

Ms Lambon’s fear is the Government’s proposals to reform refuge funding - as part of a new funding model for short-term supported housing services from 2020 - will ‘dismantle the national network of refuges and put women and children trying to escape domestic abuse at risk.’

She said: “Women’s Aid’s research shows the new funding model would force over half of refuges to close or reduce their provision in England.

“It is also estimated that refuges would have to turn away 2,058 women and 2,202 children from life-saving shelter. 

“Currently, Housing Benefit provides around half of a refuge’s total income.

“The Government’s proposed model would end a woman’s entitlement to housing benefit, or universal credit, when in refuge, and devolve this housing funding to local authorities.

“This would end the last sustainable national income that refuges receive, and result in the full devolution of responsibility and resourcing - at a time when we already have a postcode lottery of refuge provision.”

While the Government argues that the new system will provide more flexibility and fairer access to funding, the Southern Domestic Abuse Service is concerned about the ability of local authorities to take on this extra, specialised, sensitive work, with its unpredictability in meeting need and the requirement to take women and children, often from outside the local-authority area.

In recognising the work of the Southern Domestic Abuse Service as ‘outstanding,’ Mr Hinds acknowledged its refuges provide ‘an irreplaceable service often at the very most critical moment in a woman’s, and children’s, lives.’

But he believes taking reliance on individual housing benefit out of the equation, in favour of grant funding, could make life easier to provide services.

“There are particular key requirements in providing support for refuges,” he said.

“Time is clearly of the essence. There is an obvious need for the highest levels of confidentiality and anonymity.

“There may be issues with bank-account access. Victims will often be in an area unfamiliar to them. It is vital that domestic abuse victims can rely in future on safe accommodation, as now.

“There is a current consultation on funding so that it is sustained, and refuges and support organisations can have confidence for the future.

“The Government plans to ringfence a specific grant to local authorities and intends to retain that in the long term. Councils will get a grant based on projections of future need.

“All the funding that was previously provided by Housing Benefit will instead be allocated to local authorities to fund services.

“The changes are currently proposals, and the Government will continue to explore all options.

“It is in everyone’s interests to get this right and to ensure that refuges are supported to continue to do their vital work.”