TV Licence fees are set to increase in April from £169.50 to £174.50 and is due to increase every year alongside inflation until the Royal Charter it is arranged under expires in 2027. The future of TV licences beyond this is stirring controversy as some proposals could see people being charged even if they only use streaming services.
However, over a million households in the UK could be getting their TV licence entirely free to begin with. Dodging both the increases and the uncertainty beyond 2027 while saving nearly £200 every year.
There are a few groups of people who may be eligible for a free or discounted licence, with more details about each available on the official TV Licencing website. The first category is pensioners over the age of 75.
If you or your partner, living at the same address, is over 75 and claiming Pension Credit you could be eligible for the free licence. According to the BBC when the Pension Credit requirement was first implemented in 2020, around 1.5 million households were eligible for free licences under this exemption.
Pensioners in the Isle of Man, the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey should note there’s a different arrangement for over 75s in these areas. If you are blind or severely sight impaired, you could get up to 50% off the fee if you can provide the right evidence.
If you’re over 75 and live in a residential care home you could be covered by an ARC TV Licence and therefore won’t need to pay for your own licence even if you don’t receive Pension Credit. The TV Licensing authority recommends contacting your care home administrator to find out if this is the case.
If you find you are eligible for a free licence but have been paying for one, you may be able to get a refund backdated to when you first became eligible for the free licence. Although there’s no student discounts, students who buy a TV licence for their accommodation but spend less than 12 months using it could claim a refund for months they didn’t use the licence.
If you only use a black and white TV you can get a specific black and white TV licence for £57. In some circumstances, you may legally not need to have a TV licence at all.
Currently, you only require a TV licence to watch or record live television in the UK. This includes live-streaming on other platforms like YouTube or Sky.
You also need a licence to use BBC iPlayer for on demand content. However, other catch-up services like ITV Hub or All4 and on-demand services like Netflix don’t require the licence as long as it’s not used to watch live TV.