Victims of abuse face £7bn fraud heartache
DOMESTIC abuse survivors have been forced to pay out more than £7billion after malicious ex-partners stole their post to take out fraudulent loans.
Nearly half of beaten or intimidated victims have had their letters intercepted, opened or hidden by partners.
Not only have victims faced financial penalties, they have also missed cancer treatments, job interviews and school notices for their children.
Of the 47 per cent of survivors who have seen post go missing, 87 per cent were affected financially, losing £4,364 on average, according to a survey of 1,000 adults from Citizens Advice.
Perpetrators have used the information they find to financially discredit former partners – potentially leaving them with a poor credit rating.
Some have applied for loans in the survivor’s name, intercepted applications for credit cards and mortgages, and even forged their ex-partner’s signature.
Citizens Advice is now calling on the government to fund an “address and collect” service, which would work like a PO Box, provided at post offices.
It said this would ensure people in unsafe situations could access their post.
Dame Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “It’s shocking that domestic abuse survivors are being put at risk of further harm because they can’t access their post securely.”
She explained that a “secure PO Box system at post offices” was a “vital step to ensure survivors and their families are able to live without fear”.
A Post Office spokesman said: “We are ready to work with the government on any proposals in this area.”