George Osborne has announced that the £15m of money raised by tax on sanitary products will be spent directly on charities that help women.
Speaking at the spending review, Osborne responded to the recent campaign to abolish the 5% VAT – dubbed the tampon tax – that is levied on women’s sanitary products.
The chancellor said that he was committed to changing the EU law that stipulates the tax and said in the meantime that the £15m funds it raises would be directed to women’s refuges and domestic abuse charities.
Osborne said: “We already charge the lowest 5% rate allowable under European law and we’re committed to getting the EU rules changed. Until that happens, I’m going to use the £15m a year raised from the tampon tax to fund women’s health and support charities. The first £5m will be distributed between the Eve Appeal, SafeLives and Women’s Aid and the Haven – and I invite bids from other such good causes.”
More than 300,000 people have signed a petition to abolish the tax and the issue was debated in parliament in October, led by the Labour MP Paula Sherriff. Labour reduced VAT on sanitary products from 17.5% to 5% in 2000 but could not go any further under EU rules.
The announcement was met with consternation in the House of Commons, with the Labour MP Jess Phillips reportedly shouting: “You’re not paying it, George, I am.”
Osborne’s announcement also prompted outrage on social media. Many people were angered by the implication that only women should pay to help vulnerable women, arguing that dealing with domestic violence was something that should be tackled by society as whole.
Women's charities getting tampon tax money is crass politics. Like they couldn't possibly spend non-women-related money on women's charities
— Anoosh Chakelian (@Anoosh_C) November 25, 2015
Women to fund their own care and support for domestic abuse through the sanitary products they have to buy #spendingreview #tampontax #evaw
— Rachel Dykins (@rachel_elles) November 25, 2015
What happens when #tampontax is eventually abolished? Where is Osborne's long term economic plan for women's safety? #spendingreview
— janey (@vegetarianjelly) November 25, 2015
Using ridiculous #tampontax to plug govt's very own funding gaps in support for women misses the point entirely... #spendingreview
— Claire Hazelgrove (@CHazelgrove) November 25, 2015
Wait, so if money raised from the 'tampon tax' will fund women's charities, is it basically a tax by women for women? Feels...odd.
— Marie Le Conte (@youngvulgarian) November 25, 2015
The government can fund women's charities without charging all women for the right to menstruate. #tampontax
— Harrison Bulman (@HarrisonBulman) November 25, 2015
Whole society has vested interest in protecting abuse victims, not just females, so why only fund it from #tampontax? #spendingreview
— Megan Molloy (@mvmolloy) November 25, 2015
If we're using the #tampontax to find women's refuges are we saying that domestic violence is a women's problem not society's? That's wrong.
— Simple Si (@DadAndTwo) November 25, 2015
