Domestic abuse and social housing reform: why victims need more than a change in tenancy rules

Summary

The Government’s proposed social housing reforms aim to prevent domestic abuse victims from being forced to leave their homes by giving landlords and courts greater powers to remove perpetrators from social tenancies. While these changes are a welcome step, housing reform alone cannot address the wider challenges faced by survivors. Effective protection requires a coordinated approach involving safeguarding, legal support, specialist services, financial stability and, where appropriate, access to compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICA). Ultimately, victims need more than a change in tenancy rules to rebuild their lives safely.

Key Points

• The proposed Social Housing Bill seeks to allow victims of domestic abuse to remain in their homes while giving landlords and courts greater powers to remove perpetrators.
• Victims have historically faced difficult choices between remaining in unsafe homes or risking homelessness and disruption to their lives.
• Removing an abuser from a property may not eliminate risk and can, in some cases, increase the potential for retaliation or further abuse.
• Successful implementation will require effective cooperation between housing providers, police, courts, local authorities and domestic abuse support services.
• Many victims face barriers to reporting abuse, including fear, trauma, financial dependence and concerns about not being believed.
• Housing protections should not depend solely on criminal convictions, charges or formal criminal justice outcomes.
• Victims of domestic abuse may be eligible to claim compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICA) for physical injuries, sexual abuse, disabling mental injury, loss of earnings and certain expenses.
• CICA claims involve eligibility requirements, time limits and evidential rules, making specialist legal advice beneficial in many cases.
• Housing reform should form part of a broader strategy that includes safeguarding, legal protection, financial support and access to specialist services.
• Victims deserve a comprehensive response that supports recovery and long-term safety, not simply changes to tenancy arrangements.

The Government’s proposed changes to social housing law have understandably attracted attention. The aim is simple enough: where a victim of domestic abuse shares a social tenancy with their abuser, the victim should not be the person forced to leave the home.

On any view, that principle is difficult to argue with. For too long, victims of domestic abuse have faced an impossible choice: remain in a dangerous home, or leave and risk homelessness, disruption to children’s schooling, loss of support networks, and the practical upheaval that so often follows.

The proposed Social Housing Bill seeks to address part of that problem by giving landlords and courts greater powers to remove perpetrators from social housing, transfer joint tenancies into the victim’s sole name, and stop abusers from using tenancy rules as another means of control.

That is a welcome objective. But it is not, by itself, a complete answer.

Domestic abuse is rarely solved by moving one legal piece on the board. Housing, policing, safeguarding, criminal justice, welfare, family law, mental health support and access to compensation all interact. Unless those parts move together, there is a risk that reform which looks protective on paper may leave victims carrying the burden of risk in practice.

A positive intention, but serious practical questions

The central idea behind the proposed reform is that victims should be able to stay in their homes where it is safe to do so. That matters. A home is not just a roof. It can mean continuity for children, proximity to family and friends, access to schools, work, healthcare and community support.

But domestic abuse is also about power, fear and control. A perpetrator who is removed from the home may not simply accept that outcome. In some cases, eviction may increase the risk of retaliation, harassment, stalking or further violence, particularly if the perpetrator blames the victim for the loss of the property.

That does not mean the reform is wrong. It means it must be handled with care.

The real test will be whether victims are properly supported before, during and after any housing action. That means safety planning. It means proper risk assessment. It means coordination between landlords, police, domestic abuse services, local authorities and the courts. It means recognising that eviction is not the end of the safeguarding issue; in some cases, it may be the point at which the risk escalates.

Victims should not have to carry the system

One of the recurring problems in domestic abuse policy is that the burden so often falls back onto the victim.

Victims are expected to report. To evidence. To chase. To navigate complex systems. To tell their story repeatedly. To trust agencies that may already have failed them. To take steps which may provoke the very person they are trying to escape.

Many victims do not report abuse immediately, or at all. That is not because the abuse is not serious. It may be because they are frightened, financially dependent, isolated, ashamed, traumatised, concerned about their children, or simply exhausted by the prospect of not being believed.

Any housing reform which depends too heavily on victims driving the process risks leaving the most vulnerable victims behind.

There is also a wider concern about linking practical protection too closely to the criminal justice system. Domestic abuse cases are often complex. Arrests, charges and convictions do not always follow, even where abuse has plainly occurred. If housing protection only becomes meaningful once the criminal justice system has reached a certain point, many victims may never benefit from it.

Compensation is another part of the picture

At GLP Solicitors, we act for victims of violent crime, including those who have suffered physical, sexual and psychological injuries through domestic abuse. One of the routes available to victims is a claim under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

A CICA claim cannot undo what has happened. It cannot make a victim safe. It cannot replace the need for proper housing, policing, safeguarding or specialist domestic abuse support.

But compensation can still matter.

For some victims, compensation can help fund practical steps towards rebuilding their lives. It may assist with treatment, recovery, relocation, financial stability, or simply provide formal recognition that they have been harmed by a violent crime. For others, the process can feel like one part of being heard after a period in which they have been controlled, dismissed or ignored.

Domestic abuse often leaves more than visible injuries. Victims may suffer psychological trauma, loss of confidence, disruption to work, financial instability and long-term effects on their health and relationships. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme can, in appropriate cases, provide compensation for physical injuries, sexual abuse, disabling mental injury, loss of earnings and certain expenses.

However, the scheme is not always straightforward. There are eligibility rules, time limits, reporting requirements, evidential issues and appeal routes. Victims may also struggle to gather medical records, police information or supporting evidence while still dealing with the consequences of abuse.

That is why specialist advice can be important.

The proof will be in the pudding

The proposed social housing changes should be seen as one part of a much wider response to domestic abuse. They may help some victims remain safely in their homes, which is an important and overdue aim. But the success of the policy will depend on the detail.

Will landlords use the powers consistently?

Will victims be properly supported?

Will there be safeguards against retaliation?

Will perpetrators simply be displaced without any management of the ongoing risk?

Will victims who do not have a conviction, charge or clear criminal justice outcome still be protected?

Will local domestic abuse services be given the resources needed to support survivors through the process?

These are not technical objections. They go to the heart of whether the reform will protect victims in real life, not just in legislation.

Domestic abuse is a complex and dangerous area. Housing security is vital, but it is only one part of the puzzle. Victims also need safety, specialist support, legal protection, financial stability and, where appropriate, access to compensation.

At GLP Solicitors, our role is to help victims understand whether they may be entitled to compensation through CICA and to guide them through a process which can otherwise feel daunting and impersonal. We see first-hand how important it is that victims are not left to navigate complicated systems alone.

The proposed housing reforms may be a step forward. But they must not become a substitute for a properly joined-up response to domestic abuse.

Victims deserve more than a change in tenancy rules. They deserve protection, support, recognition and a realistic route towards rebuilding their lives.

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