New research from Women’s Aid finds two-thirds of women fleeing domestic abuse were turned away when seeking refuge spaces in 2024-25, due to a national shortage of suitable accommodation.
Disabled survivors of domestic abuse are particularly disadvantaged by this shortage of suitable accommodation, with only 1% of refuge spaces accessible to wheelchair users.
Despite a year-on-year increase in bed spaces, of the 10,665 women and 11,732 children who were supported by domestic abuse services last year, 65% of referrals for a space in a refuge were rejected. The most common reason for rejected refuge referrals was lack of capacity or space (43% of all rejected referrals).
Available evidence suggests this may be linked to increased length of stay in refuge due to delays in accessing appropriate move-on accommodation, linking the shortage of refuge spaces to the national housing crisis.
This marks the highest proportion of referrals rejected in five years, primarily due to a lack of capacity, as demand for specialist domestic abuse services continues to far outstrip what that is currently available to survivors. Bed spaces remained nearly a fifth below the Council of Europe’s recommendation.
Labour MP Apsana Begum warned: “The VAWG sector has said time and again that, without dedicated and long-term funding, the government will never meet its promises under the VAWG strategy.
“It is a tragedy that any woman or child should be refused a referral to a service that could literally make the difference between life and death. This year’s Domestic Violence Report is a wake up call for the government: the time to act with proper funding and investment is now.”
Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, said:
“As a direct result of consistently poor commissioning decisions, the domestic abuse sector has faced a decades long funding crisis, yet despite this, it continued to deliver lifesaving care to women and children escaping abuse. It is clear that if we are to tackle the epidemic of violence faced by women and girls, we need the government to urgently address all parts of the system.
“It is unacceptable that, due to poor decision-making at local level, and the resulting lack of housing and move-on accommodation, women and children are forced to remain in refuges for far longer, leaving countless others unable to receive the support they so desperately need.
“We also need to see dedicated, ringfenced funding for victims, survivors and those who support them. An unacceptable number of services are operating on partial or unstable funding, with many relying on reserves and volunteers to sustain essential support — with direct consequences for survivors, particularly those with more complex needs and those in by and for Black and minoritised services.
“The reality is that domestic abuse cannot be eradicated without the support and knowledge that specialist domestic abuse services bring. These services understand survivors and the help they need to rebuild their lives.
“Their value must be recognised for the lifesaving work they do, and that they are fundamentally the backbone of our country’s response to ending violence against women and girls. The work of these services must be protected, if we are to finally live in a world where domestic abuse is no longer tolerated.”
Living under Patriarchy 