The government has announced more than £1 billion in funding to help victims of domestic abuse access support, secure safe housing and rebuild their lives, as part of a major new Violence
Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy to be unveiled this week.
Local authorities across England will receive nearly £500 million to provide support in safe accommodation for survivors, alongside an additional £19 million uplift announced on Monday. Ministers say the package represents the largest crackdown on violence against women and girls in British history.
The £19 million boost will help support an estimated 4,900 additional households in need of safety, bringing the total number of people expected to benefit to almost 140,000 over the next three years, including women and their children. The funding builds on £480 million already confirmed in local government budgets and a further £550 million allocated to justice services to provide counselling, court guidance and children’s support.
Government figures show the safe accommodation fund has already helped nearly 77,000 survivors and children access secure housing and specialist support in 2024–25.
Under the scheme, survivors will be able to access confidential accommodation such as refuges, away from perpetrators, alongside tailored “move-on” support to help them secure long-term housing. For those who choose to remain in their own homes, councils will continue to deliver Sanctuary Schemes, which provide security upgrades including new locks, window security and alarms, combined with specialist domestic abuse support.
Homelessness Minister Alison McGovern said no one should have to choose between an unsafe home and homelessness. “We’re treating violence against women and girls as a national emergency, with a clear commitment to halve it in the next decade,” she said. “This funding will help local authorities provide safe accommodation and tailored support so every survivor can access safety, stability and a fresh start.”
Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips said tackling abuse required both tougher action against perpetrators and stronger support for victims. “This funding will ensure victims remain safe while preventing their abusers from inflicting further unnecessary suffering,” she said.
The announcement reinforces commitments in the National Plan for Homelessness to prevent homelessness among domestic abuse survivors wherever possible. Latest government data shows more than one in ten people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness were fleeing domestic abuse. Research from the 2025 Rough Sleeping Questionnaire found nearly 70% of women who slept rough last year had experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16.
To improve prevention, funding for homelessness, rough sleeping and domestic abuse has been streamlined into a single ringfenced grant, allowing councils to plan services more holistically. A new homelessness strategy will also introduce a practical toolkit, drawing on approaches such as Sanctuary Schemes and the Whole Housing Approach, to help keep survivors safe at home where possible and provide trauma-informed support when they need to flee.
The strategy includes £55.8 million for intensive support for people with complex needs, including women experiencing domestic abuse, aimed at improving coordination between health, housing and justice services.
Earlier this year, legislation was passed preventing councils from applying local connection tests to domestic abuse survivors seeking social housing, making it easier for victims to move to safety, including closer to family and support networks.
Alongside housing measures, more than £550 million will be invested over the next three years in justice-related support services to help victims and witnesses navigate the court process, including counselling and practical guidance.
Ministers said the combined measures demonstrate an “all of government” approach to tackling domestic abuse, focused on preventing violence, holding abusers to account and ensuring survivors receive the protection and justice they deserve. Photo by Ben Pollard, Wikimedia commons.