End unfair council tax debt for domestic abuse survivors
Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer has urged MSPs to support his call that no domestic abuse survivors be forced to pay off their abuser’s council tax debts.
Greer has lodged an amendment to the Housing Bill which would require Ministers to review the impact of the current system on domestic abuse survivors.
Because of how the current legal liability arrangements work, where a survivor of domestic abuse has lived with their abuser, they are often responsible for the abuser’s debt. Researchers and organisations supporting abuse survivors have found examples where this debt is used as a means of ongoing control and financial abuse.
Groups who have called for the removal of coerced debt include Scottish Women’s Aid, Aberlour and Financially Included, who recently published a joint report on the issue.
Mr Greer said:
“Coerced debt is a form of abuse and financial violence that is being used against people in often very desperate situations. It is used to punish and control victims and survivors and to make them responsible for their abusers.
“Council Tax debt causes a huge amount of stress and anxiety for thousands of people across Scotland. Some of those worst affected are survivors of domestic abuse who are being forced to pay off their abuser’s debts.
“This is a problem overwhelmingly affecting women with children, with every penny they are forced to pay effectively being a tax for surviving their abuse. Cancelling it and changing the rules around joint liability is clearly the right thing to do.
“I hope that MSPs from all parties will support my proposal and that we can move quickly to provide some relief and support for people who are trying to rebuild their lives.”