Cost of living crisis forcing sex workers to accept more drunk or aggressive clients

Spiralling living costs are endangering sex workers' safety by forcing them to accept potentially dangerous male clients whose inquiries they would previously have rejected, campaigners have warned.

- MAYA OPPENHEIM

The English Collective of Prostitutes said hundreds of women had called its helpline for advice on the cost of living crisis since August but that was likely to be the "tip of the iceberg", as many were afraid to seek help.

The campaign group said callers raised concerns about housing issues, eviction notices, serious arrears, alleged harassment by landlords, food banks, debt, food vouchers, and benefits, while reports of violence, abuse, and exploitative working conditions were also on the rise.

Sex workers told The Independent there are fewer clients due to people cutting back on costs, meaning they are being forced to say yes to both customers and sexual services they would previously have refused.

Niki Adams, a spokesperson for the English Collective of Prostitutes, which supports sex workers, said: "Hundreds of women [calling for help] is indicative of thousands of other women who don't know where to go to get help. Many women won't come forward to get help because they are worried about revealing their identity as a sex worker, so they suffer in silence."

She noted that all their callers are women, while around two-thirds are mothers, explaining there was a spike in callers at the end of August due to concerns about affording children's school uniforms before the Autumn term began.