TV licence fees are due to increase in the coming weeks, coinciding with a rise in numerous other household bills. This has left many pensioners scrambling to balance their weekly state pension.
Despite the popularity of streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video, nearly all households still require a TV licence. Watching any live broadcast or any BBC programme incurs a £169.50 charge.
With the fee set to rise by £5 to £174.50 in April, now is an opportune time to explore ways to reduce, or even eliminate, your TV licence costs.
State pensioners are not automatically exempt from TV licence fees. To qualify for a free licence, they must be 74 years old or over and earn below a certain income threshold.
However, eligibility also hinges on qualifying for Pension Credit, a benefit for those earning less than £218.15 per week (£332.95 for couples), set to increase to £227.10 in April (£346.60 for couples), reports the Express.
Those who reached state pension age before April 2016 receive the basic state pension, which pays £169 per week (rising to £176 in April). Therefore, unless they have additional income or savings, everyone on the old state pension will be eligible to claim Pension Credit.
Securing a free TV licence isn’t a process that happens automatically – it requires an application to be made to the Department for Work and Pensions. Once approved for Pension Credit, individuals can then apply for a complimentary TV licence.
For those who are already on Pension Credit, it’s possible to submit your free TV licence application at the age of 74, without having to wait until you turn 75.
TV Licensing clarifies: “You can apply for a free TV licence if you, as the licence holder, are 75 years or older AND you, or your partner living at the same address, receive Pension Credit.
“If you already receive Pension Credit, you can apply for your free licence when you are 74 years old. We’ll update your payments to cover you until your 75th birthday, and then you’ll be covered by your free licence. We’ll confirm this in writing.”
Moreover, even for households with incomes too high for pension credit eligibility, there’s a chance to slash the TV licence fee by half – if anyone residing there is legally blind. Only one person needs to have this legal status for the entire household’s TV licence bill to be cut in half, dropping the cost to a mere £84.