UK charities warn of ‘devastating’ council cuts to women’s services

Those dealing with violence against women most at risk as local authorities try to balance budgets, experts say

Domestic abuse charities and centres dealing with sexual violence say council budget cuts will have a devastating impact on support for women, warning that entire services will have to close as local authorities strip back to basics.

Charities said that most aspects of the services were non-statutory, meaning councils do not have a legal obligation to keep funding them and are likely to cut them as they try to balance their budgets amid a nationwide funding crisis.