New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence Domestic's Economic Empowerment Project, is funded by a Moving Ahead Financial Empowerment Grant through the Allstate Foundation and National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). As a part of this grant, the NYS coalition provides financial empowerment training, webinars, and resources to domestic violence service provider programs of New York State.

What Is Financial Abuse?

Financial abuse is a tactic used by abusers to control victims by preventing access to money or other financial resources. It often begins small and progresses over time. It's like other forms of abuse — it aims to gain power and control.

It might include:

  • Controlling how money is spent

  • Withholding money or “giving an allowance”

  • Withholding basic living resources, medication or food

  • Not allowing a partner to work or earn money

  • Stealing a partner's identity, money, credit or property *

* The Allstate Foundation Moving Ahead Curriculum. 

Signs of Financial Abuse

  • Forbidding the victim to work 
  • Sabotaging work or employment opportunities by stalking or harassing the victim at the workplace or causing the victim to lose her job by physically battering prior to important meetings or interviews
  • Controlling how all of the money is spent 
  • Not allowing the victim access to bank accounts 
  • Withholding money or giving “an allowance”
  • Not including the victim in investment or banking decisions
  • Forbidding the victim from attending job training or advancement opportunities
  • Forcing the victim to write bad checks or file fraudulent tax returns
  • Running up large amounts of debt on joint accounts
  • Refusing to work or contribute to the family income
  • Withholding funds for the victim or children to obtain basic needs such as food and medicine
  • Hiding assets
  • Stealing the victim’s identity, property or inheritance
  • Forcing the victim to work in a family business without pay
  • Refusing to pay bills and ruining the victims’ credit score
  • Forcing the victim to turn over public benefits or threatening to turn the victim in for “cheating or misusing benefits”
  • Filing false insurance claims
  • Refusing to pay or evading child support or manipulating the divorce process by drawing it out by hiding or not disclosing assets 

Trainings

  • Economic Empowerment Summit
    Economic Empowerment Summit

    Join NYSCADV on June 11, 2024, for our first Economic Empowerment Summit as we explore Economic Justice as a tool for survivors to rebuild independence and financial security after abuse. The summit will focus on providing advocates with skills and tools to equip survivors with tools for economic independence, workforce development and the complex interplay between financial and mental well-being.

    Who should attend:
    - Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence Advocates
    - Allied Organizations supporting financial empowerment
    - State Partners
    - Funders

    Additional information and registration details are forthcoming.

  • NYSCADV presents “The Allstate Moving Ahead Curriculum” for financial empowerment, created by the Allstate Foundation and NNEDV. Economic abuse is a prevalent form of domestic violence. Even before the current public health crisis, lack of financial independence prevented 94-99% of survivors from being able to leave their abuser (NRCDV). In the short-term, economic abuse can hinder a survivors’ ability to plan for and achieve safety away from the abuser. In the long-term, economic abuse can carry devastating consequences, including ruined credit, employment issues, homelessness, and legal issues, adversely affecting survivors’ ability to achieve financial stability and independence.

    Participants will:
    - Have an increased ability to apply trauma-informed, survivor-centered services to survivors of economic abuse;
    - Gain valuable tools necessary to assist survivors in financial safety planning and economic empowerment practices; and
    - Be introduced to the Moving Ahead curriculum and its modules.

  • In 2021, NYSCADV, and the YWCA of Union County presented the training series, Career Empowerment for Survivors: What Advocates Need to Know. In this four workshop series, we will discuss key factors that affect our clientele, domestic violence survivors, in their path to a successful job search ending in employment.

Resources