Support for women experiencing domestic abuse

An initiative supporting women and children to escape abusive relationships will see its funding doubled from £2 million to £4 million for the current year.

The Fund to Leave scheme has supported 1,519 women and 2,094 children to leave unsafe situations since its launch in February 2026 –  an additional £2 million will be made available in 2026-27, taking total investment up to £4 million, to ensure that there is no cap on support and to help more women and children leave abusive relationships safely and rebuild their lives.

The initiative provides immediate financial support for essentials for women leaving an abusive partner - removing the financial barriers that can trap women in harmful relationships by giving them the means to act quickly and safely.

The Scottish Government has also pledged further support for survivors of domestic abuse to ensure they are not unfairly burdened by Council Tax debt resulting from an abusive relationship. The Scottish Government will consult on creating a statutory exception to joint and several liability rules to protect victims of domestic abuse. Further details will be announced in Parliament next month with a public consultation expected in 2027.

Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth said:

“There is absolutely no place for domestic abuse in modern Scotland – it is one of the most harmful and pervasive forms of violence against women and girls.

“We are determined to break down financial barriers that will often stand in the way of leaving an abusive partner. Our Fund to Leave scheme provides immediate financial help for women so they can begin to safely rebuild their lives and protect their children from harm. Since its formation last year, the initiative has already helped more than 1,500 women rebuild their lives - I am pleased to provide further support for this initiative to remove the cap and help more women benefit from its significant impact.

“Nobody should have to face additional harm as a result of domestic abuse. We recognise that joint and several liability for council tax can create very difficult circumstances for those experiencing or who have experienced abuse. We will take forward work with local councils to ensure solutions are in place to protect victims of abuse from unfair council tax debt – I will provide further detail to Parliament on these measures next month.”

Background:

Joint and several liability for council tax means two or more people can be liable for paying the council tax on a particular property. Where a bill is not paid and debt has accrued, a local authority can pursue full payment from any of the jointly liable people. This means each person can be pursued for the entire amount, not just their individual share.

The Scottish Government is currently undertaking a statutory review of how joint and several liability rules impact people who have experience domestic abuse. It recognises survivors can be jointly liable for council tax alongside an abusive partner who refuses to pay or has built up debt without the survivor’s knowledge (coerced debt).