The study, co-authored by London Met Emeritus Research Fellow Nicola Sharp-Jeffs, is one of the first of its kind
Date: 25 September 2026
New research from Lloyds Banking Group and academics from London Metropolitan University, Durham University, and the University of Nottingham aims to address a gap in understanding of how domestic and financial abuse affects people’s finances over time.
While surveys and interviews provide vital insight into victim-survivors’ experiences, the study is one of the first large-scale projects to use anonymised banking records to build a detailed picture of the financial impact month by month and over several years.
The analysis was retrospective and examined anonymised records at group level. It was not designed to identify individual customers experiencing abuse or to trigger automated interventions.
Published in Nature, the research examined records from Lloyds Banking Group customers who have experienced domestic or financial abuse. Compared with customers of a similar age and financial background, victim-survivors had lower savings, higher debt and more missed payments. Their credit scores were on average 109 points lower.
Nicola Sharp-Jeffs OBE, Economic Abuse Expert and Emeritus Research Fellow at London Metropolitan University, said: “These findings make the hidden realities of financial abuse visible and show us where stakeholders need to concentrate their efforts when it comes to supporting victim-survivors to regain their financial safety and stability.”
Listen to Nicola speaking about the study and its findings on the Nature Podcast.
As an observational study, the research identifies associations and does not establish that financial abuse caused every difference observed. The findings should not be used in isolation to draw conclusions about an individual customer.
A clearer picture could help strengthen support
The research also revealed changes in everyday financial life. Victim-survivors were more likely to incur overdraft charges and credit card interest, miss Direct Debit payments and withdraw cash. They were also more likely to change their address, reset passwords, reorder PINs and report lost or stolen cards.
By showing how financial pressure can build over time, the findings offer a new evidence base for banks, charities and public bodies considering how to make support easier to find, more responsive and better tailored to individual needs.
Lloyds Banking Group’s specialist Domestic and Financial Abuse Team already provides tailored support, including help to separate finances, address coerced debt, access emergency assistance and connect with specialist charities. The study could help strengthen existing support by building a clearer picture of the financial pressures victim-survivors may face.
Anna Trendl, Behavioural Scientist at Lloyds Banking Group and lead author of the study, said: “Banking data provides a unique window into the lived experience of victim-survivors. Our findings show that financial abuse is associated with profound and lasting financial difficulties, with differences evident across many aspects of day-to-day financial behaviour.”
John Gathergood, Professor of Financial Economics at the University of Nottingham, said: “Banking data lets us see something that surveys and interviews struggle to capture: objective data on a person’s financial life, month by month, over many years. This study shows the effects of financial abuse on victim-survivors are significant and persistent over time.”
Karen Perrier, Innovation Manager for Debt and Economic Abuse at Money Advice Plus and PhD student at Durham University said: “These findings highlight the power of data to help uncover the financial impact of economic abuse. While the research does not explain every individual circumstance, studies like this can help inform more effective responses and strengthen pathways to financial recovery and greater financial security.”
The findings provide a clearer picture of how financial abuse can affect people’s finances over time, from depleting savings and rising debt to missed payments and lower credit scores. By combining academic expertise, specialist knowledge and anonymised banking data, the research adds to the evidence already used by financial services, charities and public bodies to support victim-survivors, and could inform further work to make that support more responsive and tailored.
Find out more about the study.
Dr Nicola Sharp-Jeffs is an Emeritus Research Fellow at London Met's Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit. She has worked within the violence against women and girls sector since 2006.
