Almost three years ago, Cheryl*, 43, left her abusive husband. She now lives with a friend.

An animal lover, she tells me she had to leave behind her beloved dog when she left her abuser. The violence started six years into their relationship.

When he was furloughed during the Covid-19 pandemic, he would occasionally turn to Cheryl for financial support. He’d ask for some money for a few beers here and there. She was initially content to oblige. After all, it’s normal to help each other out when you’re in a committed relationship. Then the requests for help became threatening demands. Ultimately, Cheryl’s abuser racked up debts across multiple credit cards, but even though he was racking up the debts, the credit cards were Cheryl’s, so the debts were technically in her name.

Cheryl’s story is, sadly, not an unfamiliar one. Our new report, Too Close To Home, reveals that in the last 12 months, 1.6 million UK adults have experienced coerced debt – debts that result from loans or credit an abuser forces a victim to take out.

This is usually part of a pattern of economic abuse involving an abuser exploiting, restricting and sabotaging someone’s economic resources to exert power and control. Coerced debt is difficult to deal with as the debts are in the victim’s sole or joint (with their abuser’s) name, which means that they are solely or partially liable for them.

“Survivors shouldn’t be paying the price for their abuser’s behaviour” – why economic justice is key to supporting victims of coerced debt