Cuts to victims’ support services could be ‘devastating’, warns Victim Support

The charity warns that if the government does not reverse these cuts and instead increase the victims’ services grant to cover national insurance rises, it could be “devastating” for services.

It says a planned 4.2 per cent cut to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) funding available to commission core victims’ services across England and Wales comes as charities face “immense cost pressures” brought by the Government’s rise in national insurance contributions.

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC)  said while it welcomed the Government’s prioritisation of funding for services to support victims of violence against women and girls (VAWG), the overall funding allocation means a “real terms decrease in financial support for victims of crime”.

The MoJ funding is used by police and crime commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales to commission support services for victims.

Victim Support says that, because of these recent funding decisions, it faces a deficit of around £3.5 million, seven per cent of its overall income, meaning it will likely have to cut services.

It said: “The cut comes despite the Government’s manifesto commitments to halve serious violence and VAWG, and alongside an increase of 5.6 per cent to the MoJ’s budget, which pays for victims’ services, courts and prisons.

“For Victim Support, the funding deficit equates to around 85 members of staff, delivering vital support for people who have been the victim of horrendous crimes, such as violent assault, sexual violence, domestic abuse, hate crime and fraud.”

Katie Kempen, chief executive at Victim Support, said: “This unprecedented cut to victims’ services funding, combined with the increase in national insurance contributions, is devastating for our services.

“Unless this decision is reversed, the stark reality is that people who have experienced the shock and trauma of crime, including domestic abuse and sexual violence survivors, will have to go without vital support.

“The timing could not be worse. Faith in the police is at rock bottom, court delays are at record levels, and many victims are fast losing faith in the criminal justice system altogether. Support services like ours are a lifeline.

“Given the Government’s commitments to halving serious violence and halving VAWG, it seems unfathomable that they would cut funding to the very services that support them.

“The Government must honour their manifesto commitments by immediately reversing this cut and instead increase the victims’ services grant to cover national insurance rises.”

APCC joint leads for victims, Lisa Townsend and Clare Moody, said: “PCCs welcome the Government’s prioritisation of funding for services to support victims of VAWG as we fully support the Government’s mission to halve VAWG within a decade.

“However, the overall funding allocation for victims’ services doesn’t reflect inflation or the increase to the employer national insurance contribution, which means a real terms decrease in central government’s financial support for victims of crime.

“Whilst we recognise the financial pressures the country faces, as commissioners of victims’ services, PCCs have been clear that demand for them is growing, driven particularly by the continued backlog of cases waiting to reach court. “We recognise, too, the benefit of reducing that backlog and the delays that result, and hope that MoJ funding used to cut those delays will lead to significantly improved experiences for victims.

“It is critical that we provide victims of crime with high quality and timely support as they cope and recover from the trauma they have experienced and the protracted involvement with an unfamiliar and complex criminal justice system they may face.”

They added: “We look forward to the expected multi-year funding settlement to bolster effective support for victims of crime. In the meantime, PCCs will work with the Ministry of Justice and our partners locally to ensure we continue to deliver the best possible services to victims in the current circumstances.”

Matt Randle, director of justice at Catch22, which delivers victims’ services in Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire and for young Londoners, said: “The changes to national insurance are costly – and alongside cuts to funding, there is little room for manoeuvre.

“Government must work with the voluntary sector to find the best ways to make what money there is go further and properly meet the needs of victims.”