Only two in five people are aware that domestic abuse can include a financial element, Citizens Advice has found.

The charity claims restrictions on day-to-day spending or being forced to take on debts are among the problems victims of domestic abuse face which can trap them in damaging relationships.

Nicky Wilshere, manager of Ipswich Citizens Advice, said financial abuse was “going under the radar” and urged partners to stay in control of their money.

“There are lots of ways a person can financially abuse their partner, including controlling their money and making them financially dependent,” she added. “This lack of control over their own finances can make it hard for people to see a way out.”

Last year the Government made the announcement that it would address non-physical abuse and make ‘coercive control’, whereby a victim’s liberty or freedom is taken from them, illegal.

Ms Wilshere said the announcement was a welcome first step that Ipswich Citizens Advice was seeking to build on by ensuring people had a better understanding of the different forms domestic abuse could take.