TOWN Halls have been ordered to fund women’s refuges — in a win for The Sun.

Minister Robert Jenrick has written to every council “making abundantly clear" that government money must go to refuges to keep women and children safe.

Women’s Aid has been campaigning for him to intervene after cash-strapped councils started earmarking the money towards other services.

Last year, 114 people lost their lives to domestic violence.

Next week councils will receive £125million to help pay for their new duties under the landmark Domestic Violence Bill.

The Sun campaigned for it along with Women’s Aid.

MyView: Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive, Women’s Aid

At our Women’s Aid national conference this week, we warmly welcomed the Secretary of State recognising that refuges are ‘critical’ in meeting the needs of survivors and their children.

We thank him for writing to councils across the country to remind them of their responsibilities under the new legal duty, and for mentioning the need to sustainably fund refuges in that letter.

On behalf of our national network of domestic abuse services, we thank The Sun and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs for their support, as well as everyone who has contributed to this important conversation.

This week we have been sharing the stories of survivors to show the need for specialist domestic abuse services, with a wealth of experience and expertise.

Women’s specialist domestic abuse services – many of whom also provide services for men and dedicated LGBT support – not only save lives, but in the long-term they save the public purse as the quality of the services means that survivors can properly heal from the trauma of abuse and rebuild their lives.

We now need to see the Minister’s commitment translate to action We have no time to lose – the £125 million of government funding for this duty must be spent this year.

We need cast iron guarantees that this cash will be spent on the expert services that women and their children need and that no more women’s refuges lose contracts or are forced to close because of poor local decision making.

Speaking at their conference, Mr Jenrick said: “It’s critical that we don’t lose the momentum that’s been built up over the course of the last few years as we’ve passed this legislation, and that we make the best possible use of the funding that’s available.”

He added: “I expect councils to be using that money wisely, not to be diverting it to other activities.”

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He said he hoped the cash would end the “hand to mouth life of many refuges”.”

Farah Nazeer, chief executive of Women’s Aid, welcomed the directive.

She added: “We thank The Sun and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner.”

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