Tim - almost LOL.

I think that I am now sufficiently shamed and we should really tell inland revenue about the tights....whether the tax system would be able to cope and exclude this is another matter. I am sure that we can cope without the extra 50p or so. It is a poor system on the Inland Revenue side actually as once it is applied to the tax code it is rolled forward to every future year automatically. The typical NHS worker does not fall into self assessment so would not think about checking each year. My wife has been a Nurse for nearly 20 years so it is not exactly high on her list of priorities. Helping save lives is (obviously though only when she has time after getting everything she can from the state).

Interestingly enough you have to claim this as an individual in the first instance - therefore all the NHS women (and Men) might not get the benefit that they are entitled to as the state does not actually tell them.