- In the past 12 months, 5.3 million adults in the UK have had to choose between buying food or toiletries.
- While lobsters are VAT-free, soap is taxed at 20%.
The Hygiene Bank (THB) has launched a nationwide campaign, #StopTheSoapTax, calling on the UK Government to remove VAT on soap, an essential hygiene product that millions in the UK struggle to afford. Alongside the petition, THB is unveiling a bold awareness campaign designed by renowned advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi ‘This is not a product. This is a protest.’ using edible soap as a protest act to highlight this difficult choice millions of people are having to make.
#StopTheSoapTax
With the cost-of-living crisis deepening, 5.3 million adults in the UK have been forced to choose between buying food or toiletries in the past year. Hygiene poverty is an overlooked crisis, disproportionately affecting low-income families, people with disabilities, and vulnerable communities. THB believes access to basic hygiene essentials is a human right, not a privilege, and removing VAT on soap is a critical step in tackling hygiene poverty.
“Soap is a necessity, not a luxury,” says Ruth Brock, CEO of The Hygiene Bank. “It’s absurd that in the UK, a nation that has already scrapped VAT on period products, we still tax essential hygiene products like soap at 20%. This campaign is about more than just VAT reform—it’s about recognising hygiene as a fundamental right.”
The UK Government has the power to change this by reclassifying soap as an essential item and removing VAT immediately. Removing VAT on soap would cost the Treasury an estimated £19.52 million—a minor fiscal adjustment compared to other government expenditures but one that would have a high social impact, especially to those with low incomes.
A Creative Protest: ‘This is not a product. This is a protest.’
To highlight the issue, THB is launching a striking PR activation with Saatchi & Saatchi: a fake edible soap product designed to expose the impossible choices people in hygiene poverty face—between eating and staying clean. The protest product will be used in media and influencer outreach to spark national conversation and drive petition signatures.
Support the Movement
THB is calling on members of the public to support the petition and push for change. You can sign the petition here.
Visit THB’s website for #StopTheSoapTax and ‘This is not a product. This is a protest.’ campaigns.
