Campaigners call for 'unfair dementia tax' removal

Libby Price is planning to hand in an open letter to Downing Street

An open letter asking for VAT to be removed from anything to do with dementia care is to be handed in to 10 Downing Street on Tuesday by campaigners.

The Filo Project, an Exeter-based social enterprise group, offers dementia care to families.

Despite being a not-for-profit organisation, VAT rules require the group to charge families an extra 20% on the care it provides.

Staff said families supported by them had paid more than £700,000 just in VAT for care since the group was set up in 2014.

'A big difference'

Filo Project director and co-founder Libby Price said those the project supported all qualified for HMRC exemption on grounds of their disability.

She added those they supported could access "other goods and services with no VAT, but, when it comes to access support from us as a CIC Community Interest Company, they have to pay VAT".

She said this was due to the government not removing its exemption legislation in line with other exemptions, and she felt it was "an unfair tax."

"Anybody who qualifies on the grounds of their disability for exemption from VAT should be able to apply that exemption on the service of care that they require," she said.

Merle Weiner, who hosts for the Filo Project, said she knew when she made "a big difference to somebody's day"

The care the Filo Project has provided to those with dementia involves hosts opening their homes to people with early to moderate dementia.

Merle Weiner, a former nurse who hosts for the project, said: "If I make one person smile, I know that I made a big difference to somebody's day."

She hosts six-hour sessions three days a week and welcomes four people with dementia into her home.

They do crafts, play games or just chat, and Merle makes a homemade meal for them.

She added it was important because it got people out of their homes and allowed carers and loved ones some respite.

A government spokesperson said: "We are fully committed to diagnosing dementia earlier and caring for people by doubling funding for research to £160m per year and including the long-term care for people living with dementia in our strategy to help people stay in good health for longer.

"We do not comment on the tax affairs of individual companies."