WESLACO – More resources for survivors of domestic abuse, struggling with coerced debit.

It’s debt incurred by an abuser in an abusive relationship. Experts say it disrupts the victim’s ability to move forward with their lives.

Produced by Texas Appleseed, partnered with Texas Coalition on Coerced Debt, created a new online toolkit where victims can reach out for help. This was awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs and Department of Justice.

According to a release, the toolkit emphasizes physical safety and also includes a glossary of key terms and a list of resources, including sample letters to dispute a fraudulent debt, a form to respond to a debt collection lawsuit, a list of domestic abuse and legal resources, and information for filing a police report for identity theft.

For further details about the toolkit, visit FinancialAbuseHelp.org. You can also call Texas RioGrande Legal Aid hotline at 888-988-9996 or the hotline for survivors at 800-991-5153.

For any person who is in an abusive situation and needs someone who can help them get safe, call the National Network to End Domestic Violence at 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224.

Correction: This story had initially stated state lawmakers helped develop the program, which was incorrect.