Survivor Francesca Onody to Advise UK Ministers on Financial Abuse Policy

A survivor of financial abuse, Francesca Onody, will now advise UK ministers. This follows a public account of her ordeal and highlights a new focus on victim experience in policy.
By Newsroom | Social Issues, Government |

A survivor of severe economic and domestic abuse has been invited to advise government ministers, following her public account of her ordeal. Francesca Onody, who was left homeless and penniless after her husband's violent act, was contacted by Lucy Rigby, the City minister and economic secretary to the Treasury. The invitation aims to leverage Onody's personal experience to inform policy aimed at helping others facing similar circumstances. The charity Surviving Economic Abuse will also participate in these discussions.

Circumstances of the Invitation

The engagement stems from a report published by The Guardian detailing Onody's traumatic experience. Her husband, Malcolm Baker, died when he set fire to their cottage with Onody and their two children inside. The subsequent aftermath left Onody and her children without resources, highlighting the profound and devastating impact of economic abuse.

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  • Onody's Experience: Doused their cottage with petrol while she and her two children were inside; left homeless and penniless.

  • Government Response: Lucy Rigby contacted Onody after reading her account.

  • Broader Engagement: The charity Surviving Economic Abuse will also be involved, suggesting a coordinated effort to address the issue.

Addressing Economic Abuse: A Policy Imperative

The invitation to Francesca Onody reflects a growing recognition among governmental bodies and financial institutions of the need for enhanced support for victim-survivors of economic and financial abuse. Organizations such as UK Finance and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have highlighted the critical role the financial sector plays in both identifying and mitigating such abuse.

Efforts to Enhance Support Systems

  • Victim-Led Prevention: Calls for improved, victim-led approaches to preventing economic and financial abuse.

  • Policy Reform: Emphasis on policy changes that better support those who have experienced abuse.

  • Justice and Prosecution: The need for effective reporting mechanisms and criminal prosecutions to deliver economic justice and deter future offenses.

  • Financial Separation: Support for victim-survivors to achieve a fair legal separation of their financial affairs.

  • Financial Sector Role: The FCA acknowledges that financial abuse can involve the manipulation of financial products and services, necessitating proactive identification and support from firms.

Resources and Initiatives

  • It's Your Money Leaflet: A resource developed by UK Finance and Surviving Economic Abuse.

  • Banking Support Directory: Provided by Surviving Economic Abuse.

  • FCA Collaboration: The FCA is working with various bodies, including the Financial Ombudsman Service, government, and charities, to understand how firms are managing harm for victim-survivors.

Past Challenges in Addressing Abuse Inquiries

Previous high-profile inquiries into sensitive matters have faced difficulties, including the resignation of key figures and loss of confidence from survivors. The independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, for instance, saw its chair resign multiple times, leading to some survivor groups withdrawing their participation. Similarly, a grooming gang inquiry experienced turmoil when survivors left the panel, citing a lack of trust and potential conflicts of interest. These precedents underscore the delicate nature of involving survivors in advisory roles and the importance of building trust and ensuring the integrity of the process.

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Expert and Organisational Perspectives

  • Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA): This charity, which focuses on transforming responses to economic abuse, describes it as a legally recognised form of domestic abuse and provides resources to help individuals spot the signs.

  • UK Finance: This industry body advocates for enhanced, victim-led prevention and policy changes to better support victim-survivors, emphasizing the need for effective reporting, prosecution, and support for financial separation.

  • Financial Conduct Authority (FCA): The FCA recognizes that financial abuse can involve the manipulation of financial products and services, and the financial services sector has a vital role in spotting signs and offering support. They are working to understand how firms identify and manage harm for victim-survivors.

  • Australian Government Initiatives: In Australia, recommendations from a government inquiry include requiring banks to assess borrowers for financial abuse, recognizing financial abuse in financial product terms, and improving child support collection and access to crisis payments for victim-survivors.

Conclusion and Future Implications

The decision to invite Francesca Onody to advise ministers on economic and financial abuse represents a significant step toward incorporating lived experience into policy development. This approach acknowledges that individuals who have directly endured such abuse possess invaluable insights that can shape more effective support systems and preventative measures. The involvement of organizations like Surviving Economic Abuse and UK Finance suggests a multi-faceted strategy is being pursued.

However, the success of this initiative may depend on the extent to which survivor perspectives are genuinely integrated and acted upon. The challenges faced by past inquiries serve as a reminder of the importance of maintaining transparency, building trust, and ensuring that survivor voices lead to tangible improvements in policy and practice. The ongoing dialogue between survivors, charities, financial institutions, and government officials will be crucial in determining the ultimate effectiveness of these efforts.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is Francesca Onody and why is she advising UK ministers?
Francesca Onody is a survivor of severe financial and domestic abuse. She survived an incident where her husband set fire to their home. She has been invited to advise UK ministers because her personal experience can help shape policies for others facing similar situations.
Q: What is economic abuse and how did Francesca Onody experience it?
Economic abuse is a form of domestic abuse where one partner controls the other's ability to access money or financial resources. Francesca Onody experienced this when her husband left her and her children homeless and penniless after a violent act.
Q: What is the government's plan regarding financial abuse policy?
The UK government, through City minister Lucy Rigby, wants to use Francesca Onody's experience to create better policies. The charity Surviving Economic Abuse will also join these talks to help develop improved support systems for victims.
Q: What role will the charity Surviving Economic Abuse play?
The charity Surviving Economic Abuse will participate in discussions with ministers and Francesca Onody. They aim to help inform policy changes that provide better support and prevention methods for people experiencing economic abuse.
Q: What are the challenges in addressing inquiries about abuse?
Past inquiries into sensitive matters have faced problems like key figures resigning and survivors losing trust. This shows that building trust and ensuring transparency is very important when involving survivors in policy advice.