Increase in Women Naming Finance and Housing as Support Needs

More women accessing our national service are looking for support with finance and housing than before the cost-of-living crisis.

Finances and housing have substantially moved up the rankings for women’s support need requests. Whilst we can’t prove the connection between this movement and the cost of living crisis, the link these support needs have with income and food poverty can’t be ignored.

The frequency of requests for support around housing and finance have grown within our national telephone support service, with our recent analysis of support needs data showing that finances are now ranked 2nd and housing 4th in the most frequently cited need.

Before the cost-of-living crisis, finance was ranked 7th and housing was ranked 9th for women accessing our service during their initial assessments.

Women who are selling sex alongside full-time employment are telling us that their salaries are failing to keep pace with inflation.

Selling sex can be a means of survival for some women, to pay for essentials such as food, housing, and utilities, for not only themselves but to provide for their dependents too.

The widening of the gap between local housing allowance (LHA) and the cost of accommodation continues to be a significant issue for women who access our support services.

We support them to overcome these issues, completing benefit and grant applications (e.g. Universal Credit, PIP, Household Support Fund, Glasspool Trust and localised grant schemes) with women, and following up with agencies to ensure women receive a timely, successful response.  We help women to: access discretionary housing payments; identify accommodation within their benefit means; secure supported housing; complete housing applications and write letters of support; we also advocate for women to move from housing where they’ve experienced trauma and cannot remain in that space; we also advocate for appropriate housing for women with disabilities, for those facing safety issues, and appropriate accommodation for women who are single parents.

This 16 days, you can take action – you can:

• Donate to support our specialist service so we can continue to support women through the cost of living crisis https://beyondthestreets.org.uk/donate/ 
• Learn more about survival sex to support you if your work involves meeting with women (GP, housing service, sexual health, domestic abuse service staff…) https://beyondthestreets.org.uk/survival-sex/ 

Together, we can work towards a world where women aren’t compelled to sell sex due to societal pressured such as poverty, insecure housing, and financial stress. Support us to provide much-needed non-judgmental support to any woman connected to the sex industry; past or present.* https://beyondthestreets.org.uk/donate/

*Beyond Support national telephone service supports adult women (18+), who have any current or historical connection/involvement in selling sex or the sex industry; e.g. camming, OnlyFans, AdultWork, sugaring, on-street, escorting, dancing, and so on. Call the service, run by women, for free on 0800 133 7870.

Find out more about Beyond Support https://beyondthestreets.org.uk/beyond-support/