As we move into the next episode of the Debt Talk podcast, 'Financial Abuse & Our Communities', we do so against the backdrop of growing public concern about domestic abuse in the UK—particularly the recent cases where coercive control, economic exploitation and intimate partner violence have escalated into fatal harm. This makes our conversation with front-line experts even more urgent. Dr Clare Wiper , Assistant Professor in Criminology at Northumbria University and co-author of the report “Designing Out Economic Abuse in the UK’s Banking Industry: A Call for Action”, highlights how deeply financial systems can compound the risks victims face. She stresses that many of the changes required to protect survivors are not radical—but depend on professionals asking the right questions, recognising red flags, and putting effective, trauma-informed safeguards in place, especially when victims are trying to separate financially from an abuser. Helen Ganney from Christians Ag...

  In this episode on the Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray explored the link between mental health and debt and how being in debt can worsen your mental health. Minara Meghna Uddin shared her experience of domestic and economic abuse, which impacted her mental health where seeking to go for support and speaking out was not an option. Whilst coming out of her marriage with children to look after and the anxiety of getting letters from debt collectors and visits from bailiffs. After having made several visits by a bailiff, he encouraged her to represent herself to go to court to deal with her debts. Dr Thomas Richardson from the University of Southampton, spoke about how he lives with bipolar disorder. In his research work as an academic, he explored developing work for communities struggling with mental health and debt. He highlighted different types of mental health treatment available and how poverty makes it hard to overcome some of the strains in life. Steven Coppard FCICM of Ar...

Silence can be a deadly killer for women of domestic abuse and instead of just hindering their recovery it could lead to their fatality.  According to the Office of National Statistics (2015), two women are killed every week in England and Wales by a current or former partner in a relationship.   The definition of domestic abuse has been expanded in recent times by legislation: an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence. Julia Oviedo, a victim and survivor of domestic abuse, shared her personal experience on  ‘In Conversation with Ripon Ray…the Community Money Matters Show’  on Betar Bangla Radio. It may seem just another story to many listeners but for an individual to talk about such a personal experience requires bravery, confidence and the will to encourage other victims to come forward and share their experiences.   In her case, it was physic...