L’s Story
When I was younger, I met someone I fell in love with right away (you know how it is in your 20s). At the time, I was studying a Bachelor of Business and Events Management while receiving Study Allowance. I was kicked out of my share house for having a boyfriend over too often, and we moved in together.
The control came slowly. It started with me getting my Centrelink payments cancelled; I had told the truth and was punished for it. When I told my boyfriend, he was very upset, but promised he’d look after me. Then he started bullying me about my study, telling me I had to get a job without a degree (like him), and he held every expense over me in an imagined ledger which added up daily.
I ended up isolated and more dependent on him; dropping out of my studies and leaving friends. In a desperate bid, I called Centrelink and told them I’d lied about being in a relationship, that we were just housemates, so I could try regain my financial independence. I was treated woefully, and was further punished as my boyfriend was planning on using our de facto status to get citizenship.
He was furious. Everything escalated.
I was able to escape because I had family and family friends with resources. There was nothing else for me. These days, I know of many FDV services which could house me, but who is funding those? The same government who would make me beholden to a man in the first place. SHAME.
This has caused me significant trauma. Being with someone in a relationship now comes with significant trust issues, and I know that if anything happens (like a mental health episode), I am going to be alone again. I am going to be stuck. The feeling is terrifying. If there is any way to end this misogynistic and paternalistic policy, we absolutely must. We can stop violence before it happens by taking away one of the tools used to perpetrate it!
Campaign statement
L’s story clearly states how financial independence is a safety issue.
Australia faces a domestic and family violence crisis, with women, especially First Nations and disabled women, disproportionately affected. At the same time, partner income testing creates and deepens financial dependence by tying a person’s access to individual income support to their partners income.
For those experiencing domestic and family violence, that dependence becomes a tool of abuse, and provides a significant barrier to leaving. Government policy should not create the very conditions that our domestic and family violence strategies are trying to prevent.
No one should have to choose between having a relationship and maintaining their financial independence, and no survivor should be made financially dependent on the person harming them.
End Partner Income Testing.