Tampon tax: Government needs to be held to account over ‘missing’ funds, say campaigners

Exclusive: 'Women’s organisations are continuing to lose out locally and nationally, with a stream of bad decisions by policy makers...'

Officials are debating whether to exempt menstruation products from state sale tax in Tennessee, among more than 30 states that imposes a so-called "pink tax". (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Campaigners are calling on the government to honour a pledge set in 2015 and give back money, which has been collected from VAT on period products, to women’s charities.

The Conservative government promised the so-called "tampon tax", levied on menstrual products, would – in the face of growing calls for it to be scrapped – instead be ring-fenced and given to those who work for the benefit of women.

Although the money has mostly been given to the third sector, the Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) says it is being given to large charities and housing associations, without a vested interest in women’s issues, leaving the specialist organisations struggling for cash.

In information exclusively given to The Independent, WRC highlighted how only two of 10 organisations given money in 2018 were working with women (Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis), and in 2019 only one group out of 10 was female-focused (Southall Black Sisters).

And in 2017, anti-abortion charity Life was awarded £250,000 from the fund.

Each year hundreds of charities apply for a grant from the tampon tax fund, estimated to have raised over £700 million.

WRC launched a crowdfund campaign on Tuesday, seeking £9,000 in donations, to draw public awareness to the issue and put pressure on the government to refocus on their original promise.

Their petition has already reached 2,000 signatures supporting the campaign but they want donations to help build the campaign, seek legal advice, canvas MPs about the issue and organise a public roadshow.

The WRC says although they don’t believe women should have to pay the tax, if they continue to do so, it is important that the government singles out women’s groups as beneficiaries because they are disproportionately affected by austerity.

They claim 80 per cent of cuts directly affect women and the income for 46 per cent of women’s organisations has reduced in the previous financial year.

The Life-Changing and Life-Saving Women’s Sector Funding report, undertaken by the Women’s Budget Group, found more than a third of women’s sector charities have incomes of under £100k, with more than half of these stating an income of less than £10k.

A quarter (24 per cent) have no funding in reserve and 83 per cent of the groups surveyed, cited an increase in demand for women-only service, none reported a decrease.

The report states: “In terms of time to apply [for funding], there is no other word for it: it’s a nightmare. It absolutely rocks organisations that are small charities and front-facing direct-service deliverers. It will take so much of mine and my management team’s time to fill in [different funding streams].

“I’ve had commissioners coming back to me and saying: ‘I didn’t want this big generic organisation to get the contract but I had no choice’, because of the price and slickness of the bid.”

A spokesperson for WRC says: “The allocation of the fund does not demonstrate an understanding of the need or the value of women’s charities in working with women and girls.

“Women’s organisations are continuing to lose out locally and nationally, with a stream of bad decisions by policy makers.”

WRC say the crowdfunder will be live until the £9,000 is raised.

In November Germany scrapped its 'luxury' tampon tax of 19 per cent, following a landmark vote.

Before the change, books and bouquets of flowers were taxed less, as they were considered less of a "luxury" than basic menstrual products.