Spotlight on economic abuse - Good Shepherd Youth & Family ...
Spotlight on economic abuse - Good Shepherd Youth & Family ...
Spotlight on economic abuse - Good Shepherd Youth & Family ...
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purpose is to “build the capacity and resilience of disadvantaged and financially excluded<br />
individuals by attracting investment and injecting funds into community finance organisati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
that offer them financial services and products that they would otherwise not be able to<br />
access from mainstream sources” (Treasury 2012, p. 20). 8 The pilot is promoted by the<br />
government as filling a gap between welfare and mainstream financial instituti<strong>on</strong>s and as<br />
targeting individual who could afford financial products but cannot gain access to them<br />
including because of discriminati<strong>on</strong> in the lending market (Treasury 2012). The pilot is due to<br />
be evaluated in 2012.<br />
Financial counselling<br />
The Australian Government funds community service organisati<strong>on</strong>s and local government<br />
bodies to provide financial counselling services to assist people experiencing financial<br />
difficulty through the Comm<strong>on</strong>wealth Financial Counselling services program administered<br />
by FaHCSIA. Funded services include casework, individual advocacy, referral and<br />
community educati<strong>on</strong>. While the range of organisati<strong>on</strong>s funded to provide financial<br />
counselling services is diverse some organisati<strong>on</strong>s are providers of services to groups likely<br />
to include people affected by family violence, including some domestic and family violence<br />
services and family mediati<strong>on</strong> services. 9<br />
The Comm<strong>on</strong>wealth Rural Financial Counselling Service funds state and regi<strong>on</strong>al bodies to<br />
provide free financial counselling to “primary producers, fishers and small rural businesses<br />
… who are suffering financial hardship and who have no alternative sources of impartial<br />
support” (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry 2012, accessed 21 July 2012 at<br />
http://www.daff.gov.au/agriculture-food/drought/rfcs/). Providers of these services may be<br />
well placed to support women in rural communities experiencing ec<strong>on</strong>omic <strong>abuse</strong> although<br />
no research or data <strong>on</strong> the Australian experience was identified in literature and web<br />
searches.<br />
Legal assistance and legal costs<br />
One final key public policy issue c<strong>on</strong>cerns the support available to women for representati<strong>on</strong><br />
and advice in dealing with the myriad of legal issues that can result from domestic and family<br />
violence and which can entail very significant costs.<br />
Nati<strong>on</strong>ally, legal aid services are funded under a partnership agreement between the<br />
Comm<strong>on</strong>wealth Attorney General and legal aid commissi<strong>on</strong>s in each of the states and<br />
territories. <strong>Family</strong> violence is am<strong>on</strong>g the priorities set out in the nati<strong>on</strong>al agreement. In<br />
Victoria this means duty lawyers are provided for family violence case lists in magistrates’<br />
courts and Victoria Legal Aid also funds private lawyers to represent people in interventi<strong>on</strong><br />
order cases. Funding is also provided for lawyers to represent resp<strong>on</strong>dents in these cases to<br />
prevent women’s cross-examinati<strong>on</strong> by alleged perpetrators. Client means tests are also<br />
reduced or absent in family violence cases. <strong>Family</strong> violence lawyers in community legal<br />
centres are funded by the Victorian Government. So, while women generally have access to<br />
representati<strong>on</strong> in family violence matters they may have to pay for legal assistance in<br />
dealing with property and other matters.<br />
8 See .<br />
9 A complete list of financial counselling services funded under the CFC is at<br />
<br />
(accessed 21 July 2012).<br />
36