Women will save up to £2 on the garments on average – up to 16 per cent – from today following the pledge to ditch the tax in the last autumn statement.
It follows a two-year campaign by brands, retailers, women’s groups and environmentalists, when the so-called “tampon tax” was dropped from other period products such as pads, tampons and menstrual cups.
However, a 20% tax on period pants, which are designed to be worn as an alternative, continued as they were classified as garments.
A number of retailers, including Tesco, John Lewis and M&S, announced they would cover the cost of VAT.
Laura Coryton, tampon tax campaigner, said it will make “a huge difference, particularly given skyrocketing levels of period poverty across the UK”.
