Salford MP hails scrapping of £318 fee for domestic abuse survivors

Survivors of domestic abuse will no longer have to pay to keep their address private when applying for insolvency support, the order is set to be scrapped from 17th November.

The government has removed the £318 fee for a Persons at Risk of Violence (PARV) order, which prevents a person’s address from appearing on the public Insolvency Register. The change follows a campaign by Money Wellness, supported by Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey.

The PARV order is designed to protect individuals whose safety could be compromised if their address were made public. It is often used by people who have experienced domestic abuse and are applying for debt solutions such as bankruptcy or debt relief orders.

Long-Bailey said: “Safety shouldn’t cost £318.”

“Scrapping the fee makes protection for abuse survivors more accessible.

“Survivors of domestic abuse who need an insolvency solution will no longer have to pay to keep their address from being added to a public register.

“Often escaping with little more than the clothes on their backs, survivors frequently face a heavy financial toll, on top of the inevitable emotional burden. If an insolvency solution can help them rebuild their lives, we should do everything we can to remove any barriers.

For most survivors, escaping abuse isn’t just about finding safety it’s also about trying to find financial stability.

According to Surviving Economic Abuse, six in ten people who suffer coercive control are forced to take out debt by their abuser. For a quarter of women who experience abuse, the financial control doesn’t stop once they leave.

Money Wellness said:  “We’re incredibly proud of the part we’ve pl£318 Fee Scrapped for Domestic Abuse Survivors Protecting Their Address, Backed by Salford MPayed, but there’s more work to be done. Although it’s great that there’ll no longer be a fee for PARV orders, just the process of applying for one can be problematic.

“This is because survivors are required to submit an application form, a witness statement and supporting evidence. Forcing them to recall harrowing details of their past abuse.”