UK households are securing free BBC TV Licences and receiving refunds through various circumstances, as 300,000 cease payments. The BBC’s latest figures reveal hundreds of thousands of British homes have stopped paying the fee.
Primary situations where refunds are typically granted include applications for free TV Licences, households no longer using television receiving equipment, and cases where replacement licences have been purchased. Additional grounds encompass blind concession refunds, properties already covered by another licence, or licences purchased by mistake. The criteria conclude with a seventh circumstance – the death of the licence holder.
Households can request a refund if they won’t require their licence before expiry, provided at least one full month remains. Those eligible for over-75 or blind concessions may apply for refunds at any point and for any remaining duration on their licence, reports Birmingham Live.
TV Licensing explained: “Working out precise refund amounts can be complicated. But we will do it for you. We’ll look carefully at the information you give us and let you know if we can offer you a refund, and how much it will be.”
The pace of change within the media world is so great that Samir Shah, the BBC chair, said in the report that it was a “moment of real jeopardy for the sector.”
“The fight is on, and it is vital we now think very carefully about the kind of media environment we want for the UK,” he declared, revealing his quest for “the best future funding model for the BBC”.
“I have already set out some views on this and the board will be saying more over the coming months,” he continued.
“But all of us are clear that we want to make sure we protect the BBC as a universal service and help it not just to survive, but thrive, for a generation and more.”