Economic Abuse Evidence Form - Surviving Economic Abuse

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What is the Economic Abuse Evidence Form (EAEF)?

The Economic Abuse Evidence Form (EAEF) is an information-sharing tool. It provides a single mechanism through which qualified money/debt advisors (trained by Money Advice Plus and Surviving Economic Abuse) can tell an organisation that an individual has experienced economic abuse.

In the EAEF, the qualified money/debt adviser will explain the impact of the economic abuse on the victim-survivor. The EAEF provides a clear and controlled format for this information. If an adviser contacts the creditor with a recommended action on behalf of the client, the creditor has the supporting information needed to respond.

The Economic Abuse Evidence Form was devised by Money Advice Plus (MAP) and piloted in partnership with Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA).

What are the benefits of using the EAEF?

The EAEF has major benefits for both victim-survivors and organisations receiving the form: 

Wellbeing of survivors: The EAEF enables organisations to have a clear understanding of the situation, without the victim-survivor having to repeat their story multiple times.
Wellbeing of colleagues: The EAEF protects the well-being of colleagues receiving the form from having to listen to details of the abuse which could cause distress or secondary trauma.
Faster decisions: During the pilot, 70% of requests supported by an EAEF received a decision within 6 weeks. Requests supported by an EAEF have an average median decision time of 13 days vs 63 days for requests without an EAEF.
Fewer requests for additional information: Only 15% of requests supported by an EAEF required further information, compared to 35% of requests without an EAEF.

“We want our customers to feel supported and listened to without them having to repeat their lived experience by having upsetting conversations. The EAEF allows for this, as all the information that we need can be found on the form. We want our customers to feel heard and have the opportunity to move forward with their life. I truly believe that the EAEF allows our customers to move forward with their banking and financial freedom knowing that they have been heard.” Amy Sager, Senior Borrowing Lead, Monzo

How your organisation can take part

The EAEF is currently being used to support victim-survivors of economic abuse who have debts. If you are an organisation that has customers with debt, then you may benefit from accepting the form.

Following a successful pilot, and with support from UK Finance, the EAEF is now being rolled out further to financial service firms in phases. A dedicated hub with information for financial services firms (banks, building societies, credit card companies, and debt purchasing and collection firms) will be available in 2024.

We know that victim-survivors interact with many sectors to achieve financial stability. We are continuing to pilot the form with local authorities and utility firms.

For more information and details of how to get involved – including access to the dedicated EAEF Hub for financial service firms – please complete the contact form below.

If you are a money/debt adviser

The EAEF can currently only be completed and submitted by a qualified money/debt adviser trained in economic abuse by Surviving Economic Abuse and Money Advice Plus.

10 debt advice organisations across the UK have already been trained to use the form and an 11th organisation (in Northern Ireland) will be trained soon. We are not currently training more money/debt advisers to use the form, although if your organisation would like to discuss a referral pathway to a specialist economic abuse debt advice service then use the contact form above.

If you have experienced economic abuse

Specialist money and debt advice should be sought if you have experienced economic abuse. The Financial Support Line for Victims of Domestic Abuse is run by Money Advice Plus. Information about the service can be found on their website: The Financial Support Line for Victims of Domestic Abuse.

The Economic Abuse Evidence Form was devised by Money Advice Plus (MAP) and piloted in partnership with Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) as part of our award-winning partnership. With grateful thanks to the Money and Pensions Services, The Rayne Foundation, Cisco and the National Lottery for the funding to make the pilot of this project possible.

The project is guided by a steering group with representatives from the debt advice, finance, utilities and domestic abuse sectors. Members include UK Finance, StepChange, Women’s Aid and Money Advice Trust.