Support that saves: The wider economic benefits of victims’ services
“This report makes one thing crystal clear – the government’s cuts to victims’ services funding are a false economy. These support services aren’t just life-saving, they are cost-saving. There is a real return on investment when victims get the support they need – that’s money saved in healthcare, in lost productivity, in long-term harm. Katie Kempen, Chief Executive Officer at Victim Support
Our new analysis has found that, for every £1 invested in our support services, there is an economic return of up to £10.80 – showing that investing in victims' services saves the public purse substantially more than it costs.
But these services are now facing unprecedented challenges, after the Government cut their funding by more than 4% this year. Combined with rising costs and demand, this has pushed these vital support services to crisis point.
Our analysis in Support that saves shows that cutting victims' services funding is a false economy – and properly funding them makes both moral and economic sense.
Put simply, with less funding, we can deliver less support to those who need it, and fewer savings for the public purse.
We're calling for the Government to urgently reverse these cuts, provide an uplift in future funding for vital support services, and commit to sustainable, long-term funding.