The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word SHORTCHANGED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
H
O
R
T
C
H
A
N
G
E
D
Buddy explains!

The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SHORTCHANGED mean?
SHORTCHANGED verb- To defraud someone by giving them less change than they should be given after a transaction.
- (by extension) To deprive someone of something for which they paid.
- To make disadvantaged by design.