The Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) charity last year uncovered how perpetrators were using joint mortgages to plunge victims into debt and homelessness.

SEA subsequently called for a cross-government taskforce on economic abuse — in collaboration with financial services, legal and domestic abuse experts — to strengthen protection for victim survivors and to stop perpetrators from using joint mortgages to exert control.

In November 2025, the government released its Financial Inclusion Strategy, which it says has been “developed with a focus on the cross-cutting themes of mental health, accessibility and economic abuse”.

The strategy states that the government will “work with key stakeholders, including industry and the Financial Conduct Authority, to explore how joint mortgages are used as a tool of abuse and how victim survivors can be better supported”.

Commenting on its own role, the FCA explains: “Domestic financial abuse has a huge impact on the lives of those who experience it. This is why we’re working closely with the government, industry and organisations like SEA to better understand and respond to the experiences of victim survivors.”

The Mortgage Mum founder and chief executive Sarah Tucker believes that the launch of the Financial Inclusion Strategy is a highly significant step. She says it acknowledges — at last — the joint-mortgage abuse that many brokers observe quietly taking place behind the scenes.

“This issue is real,” emphasises Tucker.

“It’s damaging, and it strips people of control and confidence over their own financial future.”

Broker instincts

Government recognition of the issue is a step forward but is not enough on its own, adds Tucker.

She says: “We now need clearer, practical guidance, so that lenders and advisers know exactly how to respond when something doesn’t feel right. For advisers, this is very close to home.”

An adviser is often the first person a client speaks to about their finances, and sometimes the only professional who hears the full story.

Tucker continues: “We develop a genuine emotional connection with our clients, and we should be trained to listen not just to what a client says but to what their unspoken actions might be telling us.

“The advisers I know have incredible instincts — something that becomes even more valuable as artificial intelligence plays a bigger role in the process. That intuition needs to be nurtured, protected and encouraged, because it is irreplaceable.

“It is also one of the clearest reminders of why advisers remain essential to the mortgage journey, especially when it comes to identifying risks around joint-mortgage abuse.”

Support framework

Many advisers are already doing the work, but Tucker suggests they need to feel supported.

“We need frameworks that allow us to speak to each applicant separately, training that helps us recognise subtle red flags, and clear escalation routes when our instinct tells us that something is not right.”

She adds: “Joint-mortgage abuse does not always look dramatic on the surface. Often it looks like a client who falls quiet, a partner who answers every question or someone who says yes simply because they don’t feel they can say no. As an industry, we can do so much more to ensure those people are seen, heard and protected. The willingness is there — but now the structure needs to catch up.”

To ensure economic abuse is picked up, brokers should take their time to understand each client’s situation, says My Mortgage Angel founder and mortgage and protection adviser Samantha Lindsay.

She notes: “Any signs of abuse, whether physical, emotional or financial, should not be ignored, and experience tells me that our gut instincts are usually right. If a broker notices anything suspicious, they would be sensible to try and speak to the clients separately. Face to face, ideally, so they can be confident there’s no one else in the room, exerting pressure.”

Lindsay adds: “If a broker is concerned about the welfare of an individual, they should contact organisations such as Refuge or Women’s Aid, and alert the police.”

Place of lenders

Clearly, brokers have a huge responsibility to try to spot the often-discreet signs of economic abuse, but lenders have a role to play too.

If an individual has been forced by an abusive partner to pay the mortgage on their own, it can be difficult for the lender to find this out if monthly payments are still met. However, if those payments are not being met, Lindsay suggests that the lender has a duty of care to explore the reasons behind this.

She says: “If lenders are aware of the situation, they should work with the borrower to find a resolution that works for everyone, while being sensitive to what will be a very fragile situation. If a lender is aware of mortgage abuse happening, in any form, it should report it.”

For those who have fallen victim to mortgage abuse, it is encouraging to know that an increasing number of lenders now accept borrowers with credit issues.

Lindsay explains: “If the individual hasn’t had control of their finances, we can usually see unusual spending patterns on their bank statements, and credit reports can also show any ‘hidden’ accounts that clients weren’t aware of.”

Collective effort

L&C Mortgages associate director David Hollingworth thinks that a collective effort is required to prevent economic abuse.

He says : “I’ve seen examples where a borrower who is trying to sever ties on a mortgage with their abuser struggles to make that a reality.

“Lenders have a difficult balance to make in ensuring that they give practical help to those who need it while also demonstrating continued affordability. There needs to be a more individual approach once a case of economic abuse has been identified.”

Hollingworth adds: “We already work hard to provide training internally, designed to help advisers identify a potential case of abuse.

“There have been signs of more cases being disclosed, so there’s work to be done in ensuring there is practical help available.”

Lenders such as Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Starling Bank and TSB have all partnered with SEA for help in tackling such abuse.

Earlier this year, HSBC launched an initiative to clamp down on the economic abuse of more than four million women, including 750,000 who were trapped in an exploitative joint mortgage.

SEA is providing training to staff at HSBC and First Direct, helping them to both spot the signs of economic abuse and support customers on the receiving end of such treatment.

The lender has also announced a collaboration with another charity, Money Advice Plus, to adapt an economic abuse evidence form to support customers who experience abuse via secured loans such as joint mortgages.

HSBC UK head of supported banking Faye Byrne says: “A number of firms across the sector have made meaningful progress, such as partnerships with charities, colleague training and product fixes, demonstrating real commitment.

“That said, the problem is systemic and complex: not every firm has the same capability or consistency yet. There’s room for faster, more standardised action, particularly around credit-file remediation for coerced debt, consistent frontline training and exploration of proactive identification, so that survivors receive predictable, effective help regardless of provider.

“The constructive way forward is collective: if the sector shares best practice, co-ordinates with charities and regulators, and implements comparable safeguards, progress will be faster.”

Regulatory role

Although it is positive to see progress from all areas of the mortgage market in cracking down on economic abuse, there is still room for improvement.

Accord Mortgages managing director Jeremy Duncombe explains that regulators “play an important role in setting clear expectations and guidance, supported by practical case studies that illustrate both good and poor responses from firms”.

Duncombe believes that sharing real-world case studies ensures that lessons are grounded in experience, not just theory.

“This approach fosters consistency across the industry and, most importantly, drives better outcomes for survivors, ensuring they are treated with dignity, compassion and fairness at every stage,” he says.

Duncombe also thinks that the government’s acknowledgement of economic abuse reflects a growing understanding that this is not just a financial issue but something that deeply affects people’s home, security and wellbeing.

“That’s why we welcome the focus on tackling it and are reviewing the details to understand how it aligns with our existing approach and where further collaboration may be needed,” he says.

“Awareness is an important first step. As an industry, we need to work together to create consistent, customer-focused solutions that give brokers and lenders the confidence to act and help people to feel safe and supported.”

Achieving positive change and financial independence

Mortgage abuse can take different forms. Someone who knows the impact only too well is domestic abuse survivor Cheryl Sharp.

After leaving an abusive marriage, Sharp founded her own accountancy firm, Pink Pig Financials, to support other domestic abuse survivors, female business owners and organisations in achieving positive change and financial independence.

Sharp says: “In relationships where both partners are listed on the mortgage, victims of abuse may feel trapped and unable to leave, burdened by financial dependence and a sense of responsibility. This lack of financial independence is often a key reason many remain in abusive relationships.

“Conversely, when an abusive partner leaves the home and stops contributing to mortgage payments, the victim may be left in severe financial distress. This can lead to mounting debt, significant emotional strain and long-term damage to their credit and stability.

“In both scenarios, the abuser uses financial control as a means of power, with devastating psychological and economic consequences for the victim.”

This article featured in the December 2025/January 2026 edition of Mortgage Strategy.

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