VAT exemption
Posted on: 30/08/2023Telecare and personal alarms are eligible for VAT relief in the United Kingdom if the person using the equipment meets certain criteria. If you have a disability or long-term medical condition, you will likely be exempt from VAT on certain products and services.
VAT relief is applied to any product that is designed to assist people with a chronic illness or disability. It does not matter whether you are buying the product for yourself or for somebody you care for, the VAT can be excluded.
The Government’s official advice page on VAT relief states:
For VAT purposes, you’re disabled or have a long-term illness if:
- you have a physical or mental impairment that affects your ability to carry out everyday activities, for example blindness
- you have a condition that’s treated as chronic sickness, such as diabetes, arthritis etc
- you’re terminally ill
You do not qualify if you’re elderly but able-bodied, or if you’re temporarily disabled.
Therefore, if you are elderly but without a registered medical condition, unfortunately you are not eligible for VAT relief.
How Does It Work?
When you order certain Progress Lifeline products and services online or over the phone, our friendly customer service team will ask you whether you qualify for VAT exemption. Don't worry if you aren't sure - we can help you find out. After placing your order, we'll send you a VAT Relief form; you'll simply need to fill in this form with your name and medical condition(s).
Which Conditions are Covered?
If you have any of the following conditions you are definitely exempt from VAT*:
*Please note that this list is not exhaustive
- Alzheimers
- Amputee
- Angina
- Ankylosing Spondylitus
- Arthritis
- Ataxia
- Bronchiectasis
- Blind
- Cancer
- Cerebellum Ataxia
- Cerebral Palsy
- Cerebral Vasculitis
- Chronic Arthritis
- COPD
- Degenerative Spine
- Dementia
- Diabetes
- Diverticulitis
- Emphysema
- Epilepsy
- Fibromyalgia
- Functional Movement Disorder
- Lymphedema
- Motor Neuron Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Myelitis
- Oedema
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Parkinson’s
- Partially Sighted
- Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Pneumonia
- Polymyositis
- Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Respiratory Failure
- Rheumatism
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Scoliosis
- Spina Bifida
- Spondylitis
- Stenosis
- Stroke
*Please note that this list is not exhaustive
Progress Lifeline is an award-winning personal alarm and telecare services provider who have been making a positive difference to the lives of over 65,000 customers for more than 30 years. To find out more about the benefits of our service and assistive technology, click here.