Refuges are full and funds are less as domestic abuse is on the rise

Solace Women's Aid and Hestia, two of London's largest providers of refuges, which runs 22 refuges in the capital, have seen a 53% rise in referrals between January 2020 and January 2021. It fears that the numbers will further rise as the lockdown restrictions are eased out. Meanwhile, the government says that tackling domestic abuse is their “top priority”. “Domestic violence charity Women's Aid said refuges were being hit by a "funding crisis" which was leading to "women and their children being left with nowhere to go”,” the BBC reported.  In response, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said they had "provided unprecedented additional funding of £76m to help domestic abuse survivors" during the pandemic. "This remains a top priority for this government," a statement added.