Victims' tsar hits out at chancellor's funding cuts

The government has cut millions of pounds in funding for victims' services, prompting warnings that "criminals will go unpunished" unless it urgently changes its position.

- Lizzie Dearden

The Victims' Commissioner has written a letter to chancellor Rachel Reeves, shared exclusively with the Observer, saying a combination of funding reductions and the upcoming employers' national insurance increase was creating an “existential crisis" for charities. The commissioner and charities in the sector are calling for an urgent funding increase in the next spending review, which concludes this spring.

"These crucial services ensure victims have the support they need to recover from crime and stay engaged in the pursuit of justice," Baroness Helen Newlove wrote.

"Without this support, prosecutions will falter, criminals will go unpunished, and we risk jeopardising a sense of security and justice in our communities... the failure to prosecute may contribute to further offending."

Rape Crisis England and Wales said it had already shut two of its centres, and Victim Support, which works across all crime types, estimates it will have to lose more than 80 staff and help 5,000 fewer people a year.

In her submission to the Treasury, Newlove warned that thousands of victims stuck in record court backlogs “might not last the distance” without support .

She added: “The need for victim support services has never been greater, yet these services are facing an increasingly precarious position. To honour its manifesto commitment on VAWG [violence against women and girls] and fulfi l its Safer Streets mission, the government must act swiftly and decisively to safeguard these vital services. ”