As we move into the next episode of the Debt Talk podcast, Financial Abuse & Our Communities, we do so against the backdrop of growing public concern about domestic abuse in the UK, particularly the recent cases where coercive control, economic exploitation and intimate partner violence have escalated into fatal harm. This makes our conversation with front-line experts even more urgent.

Dr Clare Wiper, Assistant Professor in Criminology at Northumbria University and co-author of the report “Designing Out Economic Abuse in the UK’s Banking Industry: A Call for Action”, highlights how deeply financial systems can compound the risks victims face. She stresses that many of the changes required to protect survivors are not radical—but depend on professionals asking the right questions, recognising red flags, and putting effective, trauma-informed safeguards in place, especially when victims are trying to separate financially from an abuser.

Helen Ganney from Christians Against Poverty (CAP) explains that economic abuse often sits beneath the surface of other crises. For many clients, debt advice is not the first intervention they need; only once safety, housing, immigration or family issues are stabilised can they begin to address the financial control, coerced debt or economic isolation that frequently accompany domestic abuse. She notes that this complexity places a huge strain on frontline services already operating beyond capacity.

Shirina Ali, Advice Manager at the Limehouse Project, a minority-led grassroots organisation in East London, emphasises how economic abuse intersects with language barriers, insecure immigration status and the threat of having no recourse to public funds. Many in the communities she supports only realise they are experiencing domestic abuse when they seek help to understand Universal Credit letters or ask if they are entitled to financial assistance. For these survivors, leaving an abuser often means leaving an entire community and support network behind.

All three guests share practical tips for professionals and community workers, urging stronger collaboration, better knowledge-sharing and coordinated responses to meet the overwhelming demand in a sector that remains critically under-resourced.

Stay tuned for our next episode: ‘January Financial Planning’.

In this month’s Debt Talk podcast, Ripon Ray explores one of the most pressing challenges in modern Britain: the real cost of digital inclusion. As technology becomes central to everyday life, what happens to those left behind? How do we bring marginalised communities into the digital mainstream without deepening inequality or compromising privacy?

Joining the conversation is Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, who unpacks what true digital inclusion means in today’s society. From a student needing online tools for geography lessons to individuals struggling to upload documents or access essential services, Elizabeth illustrates the profound impact of being digitally excluded. She reveals staggering figures on how many people remain disconnected and the steep social and economic cost of bridging that divide. Elizabeth also delves into the government’s proposed digital ID initiative, raising critical questions about the price of inclusion and the potential erosion of personal privacy in a data-driven Britain.

Rachael Tomaney, representing Napier AI, brings a vital perspective on how digital exclusion intersects with financial crime. She explains how individuals with limited digital literacy can unknowingly become conduits for money laundering and scams, as criminals exploit their vulnerability. With the rise of Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud, Rachael stresses the importance of balancing innovation with protection — ensuring that while automation and AI enhance security, human oversight remains essential to prevent exploitation.

Together, our panel offers practical insights and top tips on tackling digital exclusion, from community-level engagement to policy-driven reform, ensuring that digital transformation uplifts, rather than marginalises, those most at risk.

Stay tuned for our next episode: “Financial Abuse and Its Impact on Communities.”

Welcome to Debt Talk, with me, your host Ripon Ray. Today, we’re diving into one of the most urgent social policy challenges of our time — the cost of housing. To unpack this complex issue, I’m joined by Assia Awaleh from Sapphire Independent Housing, an expert with deep insight into the history and realities of social housing in the UK.

Assia takes us on a journey through the evolution of social housing — from its capitalist roots, when employers provided homes for their workers, to the post-war era, when local authorities stepped in to rebuild communities devastated by bombing. She explains how the landscape shifted dramatically in the 1980s with Margaret Thatcher’s Right to Buy policy, which moved vast amounts of public housing into private hands. Ironically, many of those homes are now being rented back to low-income families at unaffordable prices.

We then turn to the future. Following the tragedies of Grenfell and Awaab Ishak — the two-year-old boy who died in 2020 due to mould in his home — there are new legal protections for tenants. From October 2025, social housing landlords, including councils and housing associations, will be legally required to fix reported hazards such as damp and mould. Tenants will have the right to take legal action if landlords fail to act.

Assia also addresses the stigma surrounding social housing and reminds us that many tenants are on low incomes or benefits — and there is no shame in that. Housing associations exist precisely to support those in financial hardship. However, for tenants on zero-hour contracts or precarious jobs, fluctuating income makes rent and budgeting even more difficult. That’s where housing associations step in — helping tenants access benefits and manage their money.

Finally, Assia calls for greater tenant participation, urging residents to join landlord committees — whether in social or private housing — to ensure their voices shape how housing is managed and improved.

Join us next time on Debt Talk, when we explore another pressing issue of inequality and access: “The Cost of Digital Exclusion.”