Being self-sufficient, having an economy of your own does not only safeguard basic resources as food and shelter but is also a prerequisite for ensuring full participation in society. Research shows that women subjected to domestic violence often suffer from economic abuse and experience economic hardship within and after their relationships. Without economic support it is harder for abused women to break up and the risk of returning to a violent partner increases. The aim of the article is to understand how survivors of domestic violence experience financial vulnerability and what implications these experiences have on social work within the social assistance system.  Based on 13 in depth interviews with women survivors our study describes how debts and stolen money together with difficulties on the labour market affects their ability to have a reasonable economic standard (long) after breaking up. Several of the women describe how social workers in different ways have recognised them by giving emotional support, cognitive respect and social esteem. However, social workers have also mimicked patterns of abuse from their ex-partners. Our results show the importance of welfare in the process of making victims of violence survivors of violence.