In a significant stride towards corporate social responsibility and victim support, AXA UK, a leading insurance provider, has officially launched a comprehensive partnership with Women’s Aid, the national charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse. This collaboration introduces the ‘What They Say. What We Hear’ campaign, alongside a meticulously designed support pathway and a dedicated Survivor Support Fund, all aimed at identifying and assisting individuals experiencing financial abuse within the broader context of domestic abuse. The initiative underscores a critical commitment to protecting vulnerable customers and fostering an environment where signs of abuse are recognised and met with expert, compassionate action.
Unmasking the Insidious Nature of Financial Abuse: The ‘What They Say. What We Hear’ Campaign
The cornerstone of this new partnership is the ‘What They Say. What We Hear’ campaign, an innovative educational effort designed to shed light on the often-hidden indicators of financial abuse. Financial abuse, a pervasive form of coercive control, can be notoriously difficult to recognise, frequently disguised by abusers as care, concern, or practical management of shared resources. This campaign aims to demystify these manipulative tactics by translating common, seemingly innocuous phrases used by abusers into their true, controlling implications.
For instance, an abuser might say, "I’ll handle all the household bills; it’s easier that way," or "Why do you need your own bank account when we have a joint one?" While these statements might appear benign on the surface, the campaign helps to illustrate how they can be covert mechanisms for stripping a victim of their financial independence. Other examples could include questioning every expenditure, demanding access to bank accounts and passwords, preventing access to employment, accumulating debt in the victim’s name, or withholding essential funds. By deconstructing these everyday conversations, AXA UK and Women’s Aid aim to empower individuals, both potential victims and concerned third parties, to identify the subtle yet potent signs of financial control that often precede or accompany other forms of abuse.
The importance of this campaign cannot be overstated. Financial abuse can trap individuals in abusive relationships, making it incredibly difficult to leave due to a lack of independent resources, housing, or access to funds for basic necessities. It creates an economic dependency that isolates victims and severely limits their options for escape and recovery. By raising awareness, the campaign seeks to break down the wall of silence surrounding this form of abuse, providing a crucial first step towards intervention and support.
A Holistic Approach: The Dedicated Survivor Support Pathway
Beyond the public awareness campaign, the partnership has established a robust, trauma-informed support pathway specifically for AXA UK’s direct insurance customers. This pathway represents a significant advancement in how a financial institution can interact with and support customers experiencing domestic abuse. Women’s Aid, with its decades of specialist expertise, has collaborated closely with AXA UK to co-design and implement a system that ensures survivors receive safe, compassionate, and effective support precisely when they need it most.
The pathway is now fully operational across all AXA UK services catering to direct insurance customers. The process is designed to be sensitive and secure, recognising the immense courage it takes for a survivor to disclose abuse. Once a survivor is identified – often through interactions with AXA UK’s customer-facing teams – a dedicated referral system swings into action. This system ensures that the individual is connected directly and confidentially to the expert support services provided by Women’s Aid. This direct link bypasses potential barriers, such as the need for victims to research and initiate contact with support services themselves during a period of extreme vulnerability and distress. The trauma-informed approach embedded in the pathway means that interactions are handled with an understanding of the psychological impact of abuse, prioritising the survivor’s safety, autonomy, and emotional well-being throughout the process.
Empowering Frontline Staff: The Domestic Abuse Champions Network
A critical component of this new support model is the extensive training programme delivered by Women’s Aid to AXA UK staff. A network of "Domestic Abuse Champions" has been established across AXA UK’s customer phone lines, equipping these frontline employees with the specialist knowledge and skills required to recognise and respond safely to signs of domestic abuse, including financial control.
The training provided by Women’s Aid is comprehensive, covering a range of crucial areas. These champions are now equipped to:
- Recognise the subtle signs of domestic abuse: This includes understanding verbal cues, changes in customer behaviour, and the implications of certain financial requests or patterns that might indicate coercive control or financial manipulation.
- Respond safely and empathetically: Staff are trained in sensitive communication techniques, active listening, and how to create a safe space for disclosure without judgment. They learn how to handle conversations with care, ensuring the survivor feels heard and respected.
- Provide accurate information and signposting: Champions are knowledgeable about the resources available through Women’s Aid and how to explain the support pathway clearly, empowering survivors to make informed choices.
- Maintain confidentiality and data security: Given the sensitive nature of domestic abuse, the training emphasises strict adherence to privacy protocols, ensuring that information is handled securely and only shared with appropriate consent and within legal frameworks.
- Understand the dynamics of abuse: This includes insight into the power imbalances, isolation tactics, and psychological impacts that characterise abusive relationships, enabling staff to approach each situation with informed empathy.
By investing in this specialised training, AXA UK is transforming its customer service teams into a vital network of support. These champions are not merely processing insurance queries; they are now equipped to act as a potential lifeline for individuals who might otherwise remain unseen and unsupported. This proactive approach demonstrates a deep understanding of corporate responsibility, extending beyond conventional financial services to address a pressing societal issue.
Tangible Aid: The AXA UK Survivor Support Fund
Recognising that immediate financial stability is often a critical barrier for survivors attempting to leave an abusive relationship, AXA UK has taken a powerful step by creating a dedicated Survivor Support Fund. This fund is designed to provide immediate, tangible financial assistance to individuals referred through the new support programme.
The Survivor Support Fund represents a significant financial commitment from AXA UK and offers a lifeline in crisis situations. Funds can be allocated to cover essential costs that are often insurmountable for survivors lacking independent financial resources. This could include:
- Emergency accommodation: Providing safe temporary housing for those fleeing immediate danger.
- Legal aid: Assisting with legal fees for injunctions, divorce proceedings, or child custody arrangements.
- Securing new housing: Contributing towards deposits or rent for a new, safe home.
- Essential living costs: Covering food, clothing, utilities, and transport in the immediate aftermath of leaving an abusive environment.
- Replacement of essential items: Helping to replace documents, phones, or other critical items often destroyed or confiscated by abusers.
This direct financial aid is crucial for empowering survivors to regain control of their lives and begin the journey of rebuilding. It acknowledges that while emotional and practical support is paramount, economic independence is often the ultimate key to escaping and preventing future abuse.
The Broader Landscape: The Pervasiveness of Domestic and Financial Abuse in the UK
The partnership between AXA UK and Women’s Aid comes at a time when the scale and impact of domestic abuse in the UK remain alarmingly high. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), an estimated 2.4 million adults aged 16 to 74 experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales in the year ending March 2023. Women are disproportionately affected, with Women’s Aid reporting that 1 in 4 women in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.
Within these harrowing statistics, financial abuse stands out as a particularly insidious and pervasive tactic. Women’s Aid states that financial abuse is present in 95% of domestic abuse cases, highlighting its near-universal presence within abusive relationships. This form of control can manifest in numerous ways, from controlling a victim’s earnings and benefits, preventing them from working, or forcing them into debt, to destroying property or assets. The charity Refuge has estimated that financial abuse can cost survivors an average of £15,000, illustrating the devastating long-term economic consequences.
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 was a landmark piece of legislation that legally recognised financial abuse as a component of coercive control, broadening the legal definition of domestic abuse. This legislative recognition underscores the severity and widespread nature of the issue, providing a legal framework for prosecuting perpetrators and supporting victims. However, legal recognition alone is not enough; practical support from institutions like AXA UK is vital to translate policy into tangible assistance for survivors.
Voices from the Partnership: Commitment and Purpose
The leaders behind this initiative have expressed immense pride and dedication to the partnership’s goals.
Sophie Duggan, Partnership and Development Manager at Women’s Aid, articulated the charity’s perspective: "We’re incredibly proud of what this partnership has achieved in such a short time. AXA UK’s willingness to invest in training, create a clear pathway, and provide direct financial support shows a genuine commitment to protecting and empowering survivors. Together, we’re ensuring that people who disclose abuse are met with understanding, expertise, and real, practical help." Duggan’s statement underscores the holistic nature of AXA UK’s commitment, recognising that true support requires both systemic changes and direct financial intervention. The rapid implementation and operational success of the pathway are testaments to the collaborative spirit and shared urgency of both organisations.
Tara Foley, AXA UK & Ireland CEO, echoed this sentiment, emphasising the company’s core mission: "As a business, we aim to protect what matters most and we have a valuable role to play in supporting our customers when they’re in need. That’s why with expert guidance from Women’s Aid, we have trained our call centre teams to support those who disclose that they are experiencing domestic abuse and offer practical assistance. Working together we want to empower everyone to recognise the signs of abuse and help them find the words to seek help when they need it most." Foley’s remarks highlight AXA UK’s understanding of its broader societal role, leveraging its operational infrastructure and customer reach to contribute meaningfully to the fight against domestic abuse. The emphasis on empowering individuals to recognise signs and seek help reflects a proactive approach to prevention and early intervention.
Implications and Future Outlook: Setting a New Standard
This pioneering partnership between AXA UK and Women’s Aid sets a compelling precedent for corporate social responsibility within the financial sector. Its implications are far-reaching:
- Elevating Corporate Responsibility: The initiative demonstrates how large corporations can leverage their resources and customer touchpoints to address critical social issues, moving beyond traditional philanthropic donations to embed support systems directly into their operations. This model could inspire other financial institutions, utility providers, and customer-facing businesses to develop similar trauma-informed pathways.
- Empowering Survivors: By providing accessible, confidential, and expert-led support, coupled with direct financial aid, the partnership significantly enhances the practical options available to survivors. Financial independence is often the most significant hurdle for those attempting to leave abusive situations, and this fund directly addresses that need.
- Raising Public Awareness: The ‘What They Say. What We Hear’ campaign has the potential to educate a broad audience, fostering a greater understanding of financial abuse and its subtle manifestations. This increased awareness can empower individuals to recognise signs in their own lives or in those around them, encouraging earlier intervention and support-seeking.
- Strengthening the Support Ecosystem: By integrating a financial services provider into the domestic abuse support network, the partnership creates a more robust and multi-faceted ecosystem of care for survivors. It acknowledges that escaping abuse requires support from various sectors, not just specialist charities.
- Long-Term Impact: With the pathway fully embedded and referrals already being supported, the partnership is demonstrating immediate, tangible results. The long-term impact will be measured not only in the number of individuals directly supported but also in the broader cultural shift towards greater recognition and action against financial and domestic abuse. Continuous evaluation and refinement of the pathway will be crucial to ensure its ongoing effectiveness and adaptability to evolving needs.
The collaboration represents a powerful fusion of corporate capability and specialist charity expertise. By proactively addressing financial abuse and providing a clear, supportive pathway for survivors, AXA UK and Women’s Aid are not only changing individual lives but also contributing to a societal shift towards greater safety, empowerment, and justice for all.
To find out more about the project and AXA UK’s ‘What They Say. What We Hear’ campaign, please visit: https://www.axa.co.uk/about/inside-axa/domestic-abuse/
If you are interested in Women’s Aid’s work with corporate partners, please visit: https://womensaid.org.uk/get-involved/give/become-a-corporate-partner/
