DOMESTIC abuse survivors facing debt will no longer have to pay steep fees to remove their personal details from public records in a move hailed by campaigners.

When someone seeks formal help for their debts such as via a debt relief order, their name and address are required to be published online on a public government register.

Currently domestic abuse survivors who need to protect their whereabouts from their abusers must apply for a “person at risk of violence” order to have their details withheld, provide evidence of abuse and pay a £318 court fee. 

From November the fee will be scrapped, the Ministry of Justice confirmed yesterday.

According to debt advice service Money Wellness, some 1,470 of its customers applied for such an order in 2024 but only 194 addresses were actually withheld, with the fees cited as a major barrier.

The charity’s public affairs and policy officer Adam Rolfe said the change means survivors “can focus on rebuilding their finances and moving forward without the fear that seeking debt help could put them at risk.”

Welcoming the change, Sam Smethers, chief executive of charity Surviving Economic Abuse, said: “This blocked many from accessing vital insolvency options because the perpetrator’s economic abuse left them unable to afford the fee.

“Removing this cost is an important step towards ensuring survivors can seek protection without taking on yet more financial burden when trying to resolve coerced debts.”

Courts & Legal Services Minister Sarah Sackman KC said: “This simple change can be the difference between a life of peace and one of fear.”