A major study involving Durham University has revealed how financial abuse can leave victim-survivors with lower savings, higher debt and more missed payments. The research, published in Nature, is one of the first large-scale studies to use administrative banking data rather than surveys or interviews to document the lived experience of financial abuse.
The study involved PhD student Karen Perrier, Money Advice Plus-Innovation Manager for Debt and Economic Abuse, from Durham University’s Department of Sociology. It was led by Lloyds Banking Group in collaboration with London Metropolitan University, the University of Nottingham and Durham University.
What the banking data showed
Researchers analysed 373 financial and account-management indicators from the banking records of 5,428 women who had disclosed experiences of domestic or financial abuse. Their records were compared with those of 15,602 matched customers with no known disclosures.
The groups were matched using demographic and socioeconomic characteristics recorded seven years before disclosure. This allowed researchers to track changes in the women’s financial lives over time, including the accumulation of debt and the depletion of savings.
Victim-survivors were more likely to incur overdraft charges and credit-card interest, miss Direct Debit payments and withdraw cash. The research also found they were more likely to change address, reset passwords, reorder PINs and report lost or stolen cards.
The researchers said the findings provide a new evidence base for considering how support could be made more responsive and better tailored to individual needs. The study does not establish the reason for any individual transaction.
Higher costs and reduced everyday spending
The research identified increased spending on petrol, taxis and legal costs, alongside lower spending on dental care, opticians, sport and household goods. Victim-survivors were also more likely to move onto Universal Credit and disability benefits, and less likely to receive NHS payroll income.
They had more frequent contact with their bank, while remedial payments linked to fraud and complaints were also higher. The researchers tested the findings against two alternative comparison groups: customers matched on similar levels of financial distress, and a smaller group matched according to when relationships ended rather than when abuse was disclosed. Both comparisons produced broadly consistent patterns.
Karen Perrier provided expert analysis and interpretation of the banking data through Durham University’s Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding. The researchers said the results show how financial institutions may hold valuable information that could help shape more effective responses, support financial recovery and improve financial security for victim-survivors of economic abuse.
The paper, Banking records reveal characteristics of financial abuse, is published in Nature. The research is also discussed on the Nature Podcast. Durham University said its Department of Sociology is ranked fourth in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2027.