The Hygiene Bank calls on the UK Government to remove VAT on soap.

At The Hygiene Bank (THB) we believe that access to basic hygiene products, like soap, is a human right. Keeping clean should not be a privilege or luxury for anyone. Yet, 5.3 million adults across the UK are making difficult choices between buying food or toiletries. It’s time for a change.

The issue

Currently, soap -and other essential hygiene products - are subject to a 20% VAT rate, treating them as non-essential items. Lobsters, gold bars or works of art are VAT-free.

Taxing soap at 20% disproportionately affects low-income individuals and families, making it harder for them to maintain basic hygiene and pushing them to make difficult choices between putting food on the table or staying clean. At a time when the cost of living is soaring, the government must take urgent action to make hygiene essentials accessible for all.

Why it matters

According to our research:

• A staggering 5.3 million adults in the UK have to choose between buying food or toiletries. 65% of parents affected by hygiene poverty have had to choose between buying hygiene products for themselves or their children. Nearly half of those affected are too embarrassed to ask for help.  Hygiene poverty puts people in impossible situations and it is just not right.
• Hygiene poverty is rising and disproportionally impacts the most vulnerable and the cost-of living crisis and Government cuts are putting them in a very difficult situation: Hygiene Poverty affects 17% of those who are unemployed compared with 13% of those working part-time and 7% working full-time. Hygiene poverty is disproportionally affecting people with disabilities or long-term conditions (21%), those in lower-income households (18%) and those from ethnic minorities (12%). 
• Hygiene poverty is undermining the nation’s health: 50% of those affected by hygiene poverty say that it is causing them anxiety or depression. 92% of people affected report that it limits their social interactions with friends and family. 54% of those affected have not gone to the dentist in the last 12 months. A third report that it is causing skin rashes, fungal infections or dental problems.  

Soap is one of the most effective tools for preventing illness and disease and it is a basic staple in everyone’s home.  It’s a basic necessity, not a luxury.

What we are asking the Government

We urge the government to reclassify soap as essential goods and remove VAT immediately. This simple step will make a tangible difference in ending hygiene poverty and ensuring that everyone, regardless of income, has access to basic hygiene products.

This isn’t just a petition, it’s a protest

With 5.3 million adults in the UK are forced to choose between eating and staying clean, this is not just a petition – it's a protest. Join our fight and help us bring attention to this silent crisis that has devastating consequences for millions of families across the UK. No one should have to choose between putting food on the table or washing their hands. 

Removing VAT on soap is a small but crucial step towards a future where hygiene poverty no longer exists.

About The Hygiene Bank

At The Hygiene Bank, we believe it is not right that feeling clean should be a luxury or a privilege for anyone in our society, yet 4.2 million adults in the UK are living in hygiene poverty and cannot afford to stay clean.
That is why our network of projects exists – to give people access to the basics they need.

We are a community-led national charity and social movement tackling hygiene poverty in the UK. With over 170 local projects throughout the UK, The Hygiene Bank is powered by volunteers, who collect donated hygiene basics and distribute them to people in need via local community partners such as food banks, schools and refuges.

If you want to learn more about The Hygiene Bank, please visit our website.

For Media and Press enquiries, please contact media@thehygienebank.com