West Yorkshire Gets £11.4m to Support Crime Victims and Survivors

Thousands of crime victims across West Yorkshire will get access to counselling and practical support after the government confirmed £11.4 million in funding for the region, the Ministry of Justice announced on 24 September 2026. The money, allocated to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, will fund therapeutic and emotional support for victims of all types of crime over the next two years, with part of it ring fenced for specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence services.

Lord Chancellor Alex Norris visited the West Yorkshire Rape Crisis Partnership in Leeds on the day of the announcement to see how the funding translates into support on the ground. The partnership provides trauma informed counselling for women and girls who have survived child sexual abuse, rape or other sexual violence, along with advocacy from Independent Sexual Violence Advocates who help victims decide whether to report to the police.

Why West Yorkshire Is Getting £11.4 Million and What It Pays For

The £11.4 million is allocated specifically to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to fund victim support services over the next two years. According to the Ministry of Justice, the money covers therapeutic, emotional and practical support for victims of all types of crime, not just sexual violence, though a portion is earmarked for specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence provision.

Norris said the funding was designed to keep victim survivors "at the centre of our justice system" and framed it as part of a longer term commitment to reduce violence against women and girls. "We're proud to support West Yorkshire with more than £11.4 million of vital funding," he said. "We will halve violence against women and girls in the next decade."

The visit to the West Yorkshire Rape Crisis Partnership was intended to put a face on how the funding is spent locally. The partnership brings together three organisations, Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds, the Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre, and Bradford Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Survivors Service, each delivering specialist services within their own areas of West Yorkshire.

Inside the Rape Crisis Partnership Delivering the Funding on the Ground

Heather Collington, chief executive of the Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre and lead partner of the West Yorkshire Rape Crisis Partnership's ISVA service, said the investment recognised the "life saving advocacy and therapeutic services" survivors of rape and sexual violence need. She credited West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin and Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Baroness Alison Lowe for their continued backing of the partnership's work.

Collington said her organisation and its partners rely on continued support from government, local and regional authorities, and donors to keep pace with demand. She said sustainable investment "is essential if we are to meet ever growing demand, reduce waiting times, improve outcomes for survivors and ensure that every survivor can access the specialist support they need, when they need it."

Baroness Alison Lowe, West Yorkshire's Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said supporting victims and survivors "sits at the very heart" of the region's work, pointing to the range of services the funding covers, from counselling and emotional care through to dedicated facilities for those affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence. "This funding recognises the vital role these services play in our communities and the huge difference they make," she said.

How £11.4 Million for West Yorkshire Fits a £550 Million National Scheme

The West Yorkshire allocation sits within a much larger £550 million programme the government says it is investing over the next three years to help victims and witnesses through the justice process. That funding has been distributed across every Police and Crime Commissioner area in England and Wales, meaning West Yorkshire's £11.4 million is one part of a national effort rather than a standalone regional scheme.

Alongside the West Yorkshire funding, the government has awarded £8.7 million to Rape Crisis England & Wales to continue running the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, a free and confidential service for victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse aged 16 and over in England and Wales. The Ministry of Justice has also pointed to a near £19 million support package for survivors, alongside the Prime Minister's decision to exclude anyone imprisoned for rape, serious child sexual offences or grooming from the upcoming Sentencing Act changes to early release.

Taken together, the measures reflect a pattern the government has followed through much of 2026, pairing national policy changes on sentencing and prosecution with direct funding for the local services survivors rely on day to day. West Yorkshire's £11.4 million is the latest example of that local delivery, channelled through a regional authority rather than central government departments.

What the Funding Means for Labour's Pledge to Halve Violence Against Women

The funding is explicitly tied to the government's commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, a target that depends on both preventing offences and supporting survivors once a crime has been reported. Ministers have repeatedly framed victim support funding, including this allocation, as part of delivering "swifter justice for victims" alongside broader reforms to policing and the courts.

For West Yorkshire specifically, the money provides a two year funding horizon for services that have previously had to compete for shorter term or less certain grants. Whether that stability translates into reduced waiting times and improved outcomes, as Collington has called for, will depend on how the funding is distributed and sustained once the current two year period ends.