Money, benefits and housing

Every fact on this page comes from GOV.UK, mygov.scot, GOV.WALES, nidirect, the law itself or the organisation named. We last checked it on 6 October 2026. Each helpline shows the date we last checked it. This is general information, not financial or legal advice.

Checking what you can get

Abuse can affect your health, your work and your income. You may be able to get benefits or other financial help, even if you haven’t claimed before.

• Benefits calculators: GOV.UK lists free, anonymous calculators from entitledto, Turn2us and Policy in Practice, for people aged 18 or over. In Scotland, mygov.scot also lists the Advice.scot calculator. Northern Ireland has its own benefits calculator on nidirect, and the Department for Communities’ Make the Call service can check you’re getting everything you’re entitled to.
• Free advice: Citizens Advice (England and Wales), Citizens Advice Scotland and Advice NI (Northern Ireland) give free advice on benefits and debt.
• Grants: Turn2us has a free Grants Search that matches you to grants from charities across the UK that you may be able to get.

If you get Universal Credit

If you’ve experienced domestic abuse from a partner, an ex-partner or a family member, you can tell your work coach. Your work-related requirements, such as looking for work, are then lifted for 13 weeks, as long as:

• the abuse happened, or was threatened, in the last 6 months;
• you don’t live at the same address as the person who abused you;
• you haven’t had this break in the last 12 months; and
• you give evidence from someone in an official role within 1 month.

If you’re the main carer of a child, you may not have to look for work for a further 13 weeks. The same rule applies in Northern Ireland.

Child maintenance

Applying to the Child Maintenance Service is free. You don’t need any contact with the other parent, and you can tell the service if it isn’t safe for them to know where you live.

If you’re in debt

A free debt adviser can look at what you owe and help you work out what to do. Free debt advice is available across the UK, so you don’t need to pay for it. MoneyHelper’s debt advice locator, a free service backed by the government, shows advisers near you.

• England and Wales: a debt adviser can apply for Breathing Space for you. For up to 60 days, most creditors can’t take action against you or add interest or charges. If you’re getting mental health crisis treatment, it lasts for your treatment plus 30 days. You still need to keep up your repayments.
• Scotland: you can apply for a 6-month moratorium. Creditors can’t take action to recover what you owe, but interest and charges can still be added.
• Northern Ireland: there is no Breathing Space scheme yet. Advice NI gives free debt advice.

If someone controls your money

Taking your money, running up debts in your name, or stopping you working or studying can all be part of abuse. It’s called economic abuse. In England and Wales, the law counts it as a form of domestic abuse.

In England, Wales and Scotland, if you’re in a couple claiming Universal Credit and there is domestic or financial abuse, either of you can ask for the payment to be split between two bank accounts. In Northern Ireland, ask your work coach about splitting payments.

There is specialist support for economic abuse. See economic abuse in our Support Directory, or read about domestic abuse.

Somewhere safe to live

If you’re homeless, or about to be, because of abuse, you can ask your council for help. In Northern Ireland, ask the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. You can count as homeless even if you still have a home, if it isn’t reasonable to stay there because of the risk of abuse.

• England: if you’re homeless because of domestic abuse, you automatically have “priority need” for housing. The council can’t send you to another area where you’d be at risk of domestic abuse.
• Wales: if you’re homeless because of domestic abuse, you have priority need. A new Welsh law passed in 2026 will change how priority need works, but that part isn’t in force yet.
• Scotland: there is no priority need test. If you’re homeless and the council decides you didn’t become homeless intentionally, it must find you permanent accommodation, and temporary accommodation if you need it.
• Northern Ireland: the Housing Executive looks at four tests. Priority need includes being at risk of abuse at home, and you are not treated as at fault if you left because of domestic abuse.

A domestic abuse helpline can talk through your options, including refuges.

Compensation

Some survivors can get compensation, for example through the criminal injuries compensation scheme, a civil claim or a redress scheme. Read your options.

Where this information comes from

• GOV.UK: benefits calculators
• mygov.scot: benefit calculators
• nidirect: Make the Call
• GOV.UK: help from DWP for victims of domestic abuse
• Universal Credit Regulations 2013, regulation 98
• Universal Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016, regulation 96
• GOV.UK: Universal Credit alternative payment arrangements
• nidirect: how Universal Credit is paid
• GOV.UK: apply to the Child Maintenance Service
• nidirect: Child Maintenance Service support if you’ve experienced domestic abuse
• GOV.UK: Breathing Space
• mygov.scot: apply for a moratorium
• Department for Communities (NI): debt respite scheme
• MoneyHelper: who we are
• Surviving Economic Abuse: what is economic abuse?
• Domestic Abuse Act 2021, section 1
• GOV.UK: if you’re homeless or at risk of homelessness
• Housing Act 1996, section 189 (England)
• Homelessness code of guidance for England, chapter 21
• Housing (Wales) Act 2014, section 70
• GOV.WALES: Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Act 2026
• mygov.scot: if you’re homeless
• Northern Ireland Housing Executive: if you are homeless

Checked on 6 October 2026. Benefit and housing rules change, so always check the official pages before you act.