Domestic violence and financial abuse

Anyone can be affected by domestic violence, and it often occurs alongside financial abuse. You are not alone. We are here to help.
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Need help now?

  • Call 000 if you’re in immediate danger
  • Call 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT for access to 24/7 counselling
  • Westpac's Priority Assist team are here to help you manage your finances during difficult times. Our experienced team members will talk to you about your situation and actions to take to protect your finances. Call Priority Assist on 1800 063 509.

What are potential signs of financial abuse?

Everyone's situation is different, however, there are some common signs of domestic violence and financial abuse listed below. For more information see the Australian Banking Association's Preventing and Responding to Financial Abuse Industry Guideline.

Control

  • Tracking someone’s location or spending
  • Limiting access to money and withholding from essentials
  • Sending abusive messages through payment descriptions
  • Excluding someone from financial decisions
  • Preventing ability to earn money

Coercion

  • Pressuring someone to provide access to bank accounts or open new joint accounts
  • Making someone pay for another person's expenses or debts
  • Pressuring someone to become a guarantor or joint borrower
  • Threats of or enacting physical or emotional harm

Fraud

  • Using another person’s money or assets without their consent
  • Forging someone’s signature
  • Stealing someone's identity

Understanding domestic violence

Domestic or family violence includes actions or threats to gain or maintain power or coercive control over a current/former family member or intimate partner. It can be financial, emotional, physical or sexual. This includes actions intended to frighten, intimidate, humiliate, or harm someone. Domestic violence can continue long after leaving a family situation.


For more information on coercive control, see the Australian Government’s Understanding Coercive Control Factsheet.

Understanding financial abuse

Financial abuse occurs when someone tries to influence your financial decisions to their advantage, or misuse or control your money, property, or assets without your consent.


Some people may find themselves more vulnerable to financial abuse if they are:

  • Separating from a partner or going through a relationship breakdown. Read more on separation
  • Dependent on others for day-to-day care or social contact due to health conditions or aging
    Read more on elder financial abuse.

How you can help protect yourself

If you think you are experiencing domestic violence and/or financial abuse, contact the police.



There are some quick changes you may want to consider to help protect yourself. These can be done online, or you can phone our Priority Assist team on 1800 063 509 if you'd like some help.

Update your contact information

Update your contact information including your phone number and address.

Consider changing your passwords and pins

Amend access to your online banking by changing your password, and change PINs on your debit and credit cards.

Open your own bank account

Keep your money safe in an account only you can access, and start to build emergency savings.

Adjust limits

There are some different ways you can apply limits to your spending or payments for Online Banking and debit cards.

Manage your money

Setting up push notifications, cancelling a direct debit and applying a gambling block can help you stay in control.

Report abusive messages

You can report offensive messages received as a payment description via the Westpac App.

How we can help

It’s a brave step to seek help to stop domestic violence and financial abuse. When you talk to us, your safety and privacy are our priority. You can talk to our team members securely and confidentially about your situation and the measures you can take. 

 

Call Priority Assist on 1800 063 509. Our experienced team members are here to understand your situation and help you safely implement actions to protect your money and financial position. We may be able to help you:

Talk to us about hardship support

We have a range of solutions, such as varying loan repayments to give you time and space until you are safe and able to discuss long-term plans. Find out more about financial hardship support.

Protect your money

Protect money in bank accounts by making joint accounts 'all to sign' and reviewing any third-party authorities so money cannot be taken without your approval.


If safe to do so, consider freezing your current debt position by cancelling any redraw facilities on home loans or additional credit cards for which you are the primary cardholder.

Separate finances

Separation can hit hard financially and can cause financial abuse. We understand that gaining financial self-sufficiency can often be the difference between staying in or leaving a violent situation.


We can help you to work through your financial arrangements and separate them from your family member, where possible.

Support beyond banking

1800 RESPECT

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence.

Call 1800 737 732

Lifeline

Lifeline provides Australians experiencing a personal crisis with 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.

Call 13 11 14

13 YARN

A 24 hours/7 days service to talk with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter.

Call 13 92 76

No to Violence Men's Referral Service

No to Violence provides anonymous and confidential telephone counselling, information and referrals to men to help them take action to stop using violent and controlling behaviour.

Call 1300 766 491

Qlife

QLife provides anonymous and free LGBTIQ+ peer support and referral for people in Australia wanting to talk about sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationships.

Call 1800 184 527

The National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline

The Hotline is for reporting abuse or neglect of people with disability. 

Call 1800 880 052

National Debt Helpline

If you’re worried about your financial situation, National Debt Helpline offers free, independent, confidential financial counselling to help assess and manage your situation.

Call 1800 007 007

Full Stop Australia

Full Stop Australia provides free 24/7 telephone and online counselling to those experiencing violence or abuse.

Call 1800 385 578

CWES Money Clinics

Money Clinics provide independent financial safety planning and information in a one-on-one session with a qualified, female, financial specialist who is violence-and trauma-informed.

Call 1800 730 031

Easy English guides

This guide explains how to get support if you are experiencing domestic violence and/or financial abuse.

Find out more

Elder financial abuse

Financial hardship

Fraud and scams

Things you should know

Westpac would like to acknowledge the expert guidance of OurWatch who helped develop the information on this page.


Westpac's approach to providing extra care for customers in vulnerable circumstances is guided by the Australian Banking Association's Banking Code of Practice. Links to the relevant industry guidelines are below.

Preventing and responding to family and domestic violence

Preventing and responding to financial abuse (including elder financial abuse)

Responding to requests from a POA or court-appointed administrator

Banks' financial difficulty programs


This information is general in nature and has been prepared without taking your personal objectives, circumstances and needs and into account. You should consider the appropriateness of the information to your own circumstances and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.