Voluntary organisation Women's Aid has expressed concern that more women are becoming trapped in abusive relationships as a result of the recession.
Read the report
Last year, callers to the Women's Aid national free helpline disclosed over 15,000 incidents of abuse.
Around 1,900 of these were what the group terms 'financial abuse'.
Women's Aid says that many women reported experiencing domestic violence before the recession.
However, its report published today found that the economic downturn was leading to more frequent and dangerous types of abuse.
In particular, women reported that abusive men were using the recession as an excuse for violent behaviour.
Women's Aid Director Margaret Martin said the downturn can make it harder for women to leave, as they fear losing their homes or the effect of poverty on them and their children.
Types of financial abuse reported included denying a woman money for food and household bills and forcing women to put an abuser's name on the deeds of a house.
Women's Aid says it also has concerns about its future, as much of its funding comes from the Government.
It says it has already experienced cutbacks this year and expects more to come in 2010.
