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UK Government’s £1 Billion Investment in Domestic Abuse Support the Right Approach — or Missing Half the Picture?
In December 2025 the UK government announced it would invest over £1 billion into supporting victims of domestic abuse and violence, with a major focus on women and girls under its Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy. This funding — spread across safe accommodation, counselling, court support and specialist services — has been described by ministers as the largest state-backed domestic abuse initiative in British history.
What Is the Funding Aimed At
The £1 billion-plus package includes:
• Nearly £500 million for safe accommodation — funding refuges and housing support for victims and children.
• £550 million dedicated to specialist services, such as counselling, court guidance and victim support.
• Additional targeted resources including increased helplines, housing aid, and community support.
Government ministers say the strategy will not only support victims but also prevent future abuse and prosecute perpetrators, with an ambition to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.
The Case for Targeted Support for Women
The government’s Violence Against Women and Girls strategy is based on official crime data showing that women and girls experience certain forms of abuse — notably sexual violence and stalking — at a significantly higher rate than men. For example:
• Women are statistically far more likely to be victims of sexual assault.
• Domestic abuse and stalking are also more commonly reported by women than by men.
Supporters of this gender-focused approach argue that targeted investment reflects the scale and severity of these harms, and that specialist services tailored to women’s needs are essential for recovery and safety.
The Debate: Are All Victims Being Counted
While many public health and safety advocates welcome increased funding, there is an ongoing debate about whether the strategy overlooks men and boys who also experience abuse.
Official figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in England and Wales in the past year, an estimated 3.8 million people experienced domestic abuse — with roughly 2.2 million women and about 1.5 million men affected.
Some commentators and campaigners argue that, despite significant funding, male victims often lack the same level of tailored, specialist support — such as refuges or gender-specific services — compared to women. Independent advocates and researchers have called for more balanced investment and strategies that recognise abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of gender.
Is the Funding Being Misreported
There’s no evidence that the government is “lying” about the investment figures — the funds are real, documented and published on official government channels. However, critics sometimes suggest that headline figures can obscure how money is actually spent on the ground, and whether those allocations reflect the needs of different groups of victims.
For example:
• Some argue that the VAWG framework — by definition focused on women and girls — may unintentionally sideline male victims within policies and funding streams designed specifically for women.
• Others contend that men are less likely to report abuse or seek help, which complicates how support services are planned and resourced.
Is the Strategy Working
It’s too early to definitively say whether the current strategy will halve violence against women and girls within ten years. However, initial figures show thousands more survivors accessing safe accommodation and support services following previous funding boosts.
Supporters argue that:
• Investment is crucial and overdue, given the human and economic cost of abuse.
• Specialist services help victims escape dangerous situations and begin rebuilding their lives.
Critics argue that:
• A gender-neutral or more inclusive strategy might better reflect the lived experience of all victims of abuse.
• Funding and services should be based on harm metrics rather than political framing, ensuring that anyone affected — men, women, non-binary people — gets support.
Conclusion
The UK government’s multi-billion-pound funding package for domestic abuse victims represents a significant policy commitment and reflects a long-awaited investment in support services. But the debate over whether the approach is truly inclusive and fair to all victims — irrespective of gender — continues. To many, the headline figures are real and impactful; to others, they raise questions about whether support and recognition are distributed proportionately based on victimisation rather than gendered categorisation.
Domestic abuse and violence are serious problems that affect millions of people in Britain each year. Regardless of the strategy’s label, comprehensive support for all victims — and effective prevention — remains a national priority.
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Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley
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