Domestic abusers are taking survivors’ stimulus checks — and lawmakers want the IRS to do something about it

Domestic-violence survivors often use cash infusions as a springboard toward safety.

One reason many survivors remain with their abusers is insufficient means to financially support themselves and/or their kids, advocates say. Some 73% of domestic-violence survivors report staying with an abusive partner longer or returning to that partner due to financial problems, according to a 2018 Institute for Women’s Policy Research survey of 164 individuals in 11 states and Washington, D.C.