Period Poverty

(asked on 13th March 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government offers any provision of female sanitary products for women who consider themselves unable to afford such products.


Answered by
Damian Hinds Portrait
Damian Hinds
Minister of State (Education)
This question was answered on 21st March 2017

Benefits administered by DWP do not include a specific amount for sanitary products, just as they do not include a specific amount for any other item such as food or fuel charges. Instead, an “applicable amount” is set through legislation passed by Parliament for each benefit.

An applicable amount is a standard national figure which the Government believes reflects the basic living needs of an applicant and their family.

There is no objective way of deciding what an adequate level of benefit should be. Every person has different requirements, and the Government strongly believes that individuals should be free to spend their benefits in the way that best suits their individual circumstances.

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