Ghose said that while she was pleased that the government had scrapped the proposals, politicians now needed to work with domestic violence organisations to ensure that specialist support services for survivors were properly funded.

On just one day last year, 94 women and 90 children fleeing domestic violence had to be turned away from refuges, she added.

“Refuges are still doing extraordinary work on uncertain, shoestring budgets and struggling to meet demand,” she said.

“That’s why our campaign is far from over. We want to work with the government to secure a long-term, sustainable funding future for all domestic abuse services so that every woman and child can get the help they need to rebuild their life free from fear and abuse, not just for today but for life.”

Domestic violence remains a serious problem in the UK, and refuges are still under immense financial strain. It has yet to be seen whether the government’s forthcoming Domestic Violence Bill will go far enough in supporting women and children fleeing abuse.

But in these dark times, we think we need to take small victories where we can. Perhaps ministers should never have made these proposals in the first place – but we should all be relieved that they changed their minds.

To support Women’s Aid’s #SaveOurServices campaign, donate here.

For once, we’ve got some good news for women’s refuges