A new call has been made for the Government to fund free TV licences for pensioners – with campaigners saying there’s a ‘desperate need’ to fund it amid soaring bills. A TV Licence costs £174.50 (£58.50 for black and white TV sets) for both homes and businesses and went up in April.
Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, ITVX, Disney Plus, YouTube, All 4 or My5 don’t require a licence for catch-up shows. However, a licence is still necessary for watching live content through these platforms. Failure to hold a TV licence while viewing live TV can result in a fine of up to £1,000, or £2,000 in Guernsey.
The petition on the Parliament website was created by Michael Thompson says: “We want the Government to fund free TV licences for existing pensioners and those who reach the official retirement age. When people reach retirement age, we think they should receive a state-financed free TV licence.
“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.”
If the petition gets to 10,000 signatures it will get an official response from the The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and if it reaches 100,000 it will spark a parliamentary debate where the government will have to lay out its position and respond directly to the suggestions.
Some pensioners are able to apply for a free TV licence but only under certain conditions. State pensioners born in specific years could be entitled to a free TV licence, following an eligibility rule linked to age and benefits. Anyone in the UK aged 75 or over who receives Pension Credit is entitled to a TV licence at no cost.
This means those born in 1950 who have already turned 75 this year and who claim the benefit can apply to have the £174.50 annual fee waived. A TV licence is legally required to watch or record live television on any channel or to use BBC iPlayer for live or catch-up viewing.
To view the petition click here.