{"id":23821,"date":"2026-02-21T08:34:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T08:34:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=23821"},"modified":"2026-02-21T08:34:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T08:34:26","slug":"survivor-of-financial-abuse-invited-to-advise-ministers-after-guardian-report-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=23821","title":{"rendered":"Survivor of financial abuse invited to advise ministers after Guardian report | Money"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A woman who was nearly killed by her abusive husband has been invited to advise the government on measures to support victims of financial abuse after the Guardian highlighted her story<\/a> last weekend.<\/p>\n

Francesca Onody was left homeless and penniless when her husband doused their cottage with petrol while she and her two children were inside. Her husband, Malcolm Baker, died when the property exploded.<\/p>\n

She discovered that Baker had cancelled the couple\u2019s insurance policies and emptied their business bank accounts after she began divorce proceedings following years of abuse. She was not named in his will and faced repossession by their mortgage lender. The repossession order was halted after the Guardian intervened.<\/p>\n

Lucy Rigby, the City minister and economic secretary to the Treasury, contacted Onody after reading about her ordeal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was moved to tears,\u201d Rigby said. \u201cFrancesca\u2019s case is a truly shocking example of economic abuse and demonstrates just how devastating the impact can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Lucy Rigby described Francesca Onody\u2019s case as a \u2018truly shocking example of economic abuse\u2019.<\/span> Photograph: Sarah Lee\/The Guardian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The minister has asked to meet Onody to hear first-hand about her experiences and discuss measures that might help save other survivors from destitution. The charity Surviving Economic Abuse will also attend.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government\u2019s determination to tackle economic abuse is why we made this a cross-cutting theme in our recently published financial inclusion strategy,\u201d says Rigby. \u201cI\u2019m absolutely determined that as a government we do everything we can to prevent victim-survivors like Francesca having to go through what she did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Onody said she was failed by the authorities and financial providers when she sought help for Baker\u2019s abuse.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbusers are manipulative and calculating, using the terms and conditions of financial institutions to their advantage,\u201d she said. \u201cIf speaking up can help in any small way to stop someone else from going through what my children and I went through, then I\u2019m happy to meet with anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Surviving Economic Abuse, abusers can weaponise financial products and services to maintain control and continue to cause harm long after a divorce.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinancial services professionals, from banks to insurers, must be better equipped to spot the signs of economic abuse and support customers,\u201d said the charity\u2019s chief executive, Sam Smethers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe welcome the economic secretary to the Treasury\u2019s commitment to tackling economic abuse, but urgent legislative reform is now needed to close the gaps in our systems that abusers continue to exploit. The Financial Conduct Authority should urgently issue guidance to help firms support survivors under existing rules. It\u2019s the only way to help survivors like Francesca and their children to safely rebuild their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n