Victims’ Commissioner’s submission to the 25/26 Spending Review
Victims' Commissioner Spending Review Submission 25/26 (PDF, 456.7 KB)
In her submission to the 25/26 Spending Review, the Victims' Commissioner, Baroness Newlove, urges the government to increase funding to vital support services.
Victim services are a crucial part of our justice system. Providing invaluable support, they ensure victims can cope, recover and rebuild their lives after crime.
A fundamental pillar of our justice system, the steady erosion of funding of these services has ripple effects that stretch far beyond the individual victim. Without this support, prosecutions will falter, criminals will go unpunished, and we risk jeopardising a sense of security and justice in our communities.
The submission goes onto saying that anyone can become a victim, and under the Victims’ Code, they should have access to support. Yet, without proper funding, the government risks undermining this fundamental pillar of our justice system.
Crucially, it also highlights that while crime directly impacts millions of people each year, spending on victims presently accounts for less than 1% of the Ministry of Justices’ total annual expenditure.
This is the time for sustained funding. Amid record waits for justice, the need for support has never been greater. To absorb this increase in demand, an uplift in funding is essential.
- Find out more about the Spending Review on GOV.UK
- See coverage of the Victims’ Commissioner’s submission in the Observer: ‘Criminals will go unpunished’ after victim services cuts, Reeves warned | Rape and sexual assault | The Guardian