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

Resources

• Allstate Foundation
• National Network to End Domestic Violence Independence Project
• Family Violence Option in New York State