There are growing demands to make TV licences free for all pensioners, with nearly 37,000 people signing a petition to Parliament calling for changes to be made. A TV licence, which is required to watch or record live TV and use BBC iPlayer, currently costs £169.50 per year, with a planned increase in April, and non-payment can result in a fine of up to £1,000.
Until 2020, the licence was free for all pensioners, benefiting around 4.5 million households, but the BBC changed the rules in 2019, making it only free for those receiving Pension Credit. The petition argues: “Many pensioners live on the breadline with only the TV for company. With the cost of food soaring and utility bills ever higher, we feel there is a desperate need to provide all pensioners with at least this concession.
“We feel it is a double outrage that those who have given their all to this country in taxes and raising children have to pay a TV licence fee and are only exempt if they receive means-tested Pension Credit. Meanwhile, some media figures draw huge salaries.”
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) responded this month detailing that the BBC assumed responsibility for over-75s concessionary licences during the 2015 licence fee settlement. “The BBC now administers the concession, and offers free TV licences for over-75s who are in receipt of pension credit,” according to the statement.
The department, however, also mentioned that an upcoming charter review would examine a “range of issues” concerning the BBC, with the aim “to make sure the BBC truly represents and delivers for every person in this country”. It added: “The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee, and firmly believes that the unique obligations placed on the BBC demand continued, sustainable public funding to support its vital work.”
Meanwhile, new revelations suggest the licence fee might be expanded, as there is speculation that the Government might explore including streaming services like Netflix in the scheme. Bloomberg has reported, citing anonymous sources, that discussions are occurring between the Prime Minister’s office, the Treasury, and the DCMS regarding different options for revising the BBC’s funding model.
Other funding options reportedly being considered are allowing the BBC to show adverts, introducing a fee for BBC radio listeners, and taxing streaming services. A spokesperson for the DCMS declined to comment on “speculation”, adding: “We will provide more details about charter review plans in due course.”
For more information on the petition, visit petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700117. Should the petition receive 100,000 signatures, it could be considered for debate in Parliament.