Survivor of financial abuse invited to advise ministers after Guardian report

City minister Lucy Rigby acts after woman faced repossession of house burned down by controlling husband

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 last weekend.

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.

She discovered that Baker had cancelled the couple’s 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.

Lucy Rigby, the City minister and economic secretary to the Treasury, contacted Onody after reading about her ordeal.

“I was moved to tears,” Rigby said. “Francesca’s case is a truly shocking example of economic abuse and demonstrates just how devastating the impact can be.”

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.

“The government’s determination to tackle economic abuse is why we made this a cross-cutting theme in our recently published financial inclusion strategy,” says Rigby. “I’m absolutely determined that as a government we do everything we can to prevent victim-survivors like Francesca having to go through what she did.”

Onody said she was failed by the authorities and financial providers when she sought help for Baker’s abuse.

“Abusers are manipulative and calculating, using the terms and conditions of financial institutions to their advantage,” she said. “If speaking up can help in any small way to stop someone else from going through what my children and I went through, then I’m happy to meet with anyone.”

According to Surviving Economic Abuse, abusers can weaponise financial products and services to maintain control and continue to cause harm long after a divorce.

“Financial services professionals, from banks to insurers, must be better equipped to spot the signs of economic abuse and support customers,” said the charity’s chief executive, Sam Smethers.

“We welcome the economic secretary to the Treasury’s 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’s the only way to help survivors like Francesca and their children to safely rebuild their lives.”

• In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org.