Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy – her department has issued a response to those calling for free TV licences for pensioners (Image: Getty Images)
The Government has issued a big update to campaigners pushing for free television licences to be extended to all state pensioners. The Department for Culture Media and Sport, headed by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, has released a fresh statement on the issue, acknowledging it was ‘keeping an open mind’ regarding ‘new concessions’ for households.
More than 33,000 people have now backed the appeal, which can be accessed here. This year the standard UK TV Licence rose to £180 annually. A black-and-white only licence costs £60.50. To qualify for a free TV licence as a pensioner in the UK, either the individual or their partner at the same address must be aged 75 or over and in receipt of Pension Credit. Should the petition reach 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for a Parliamentary debate.
Universal free TV licences for 3.7m pensioners aged 75 and above were officially scrapped on 31 July 2020. At the time, the BBC stated that funding free TV licences for all over-75s would have resulted in ‘unprecedented closures’.
The petition states: “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.”
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport stated: “There are a number of TV licence concessions available, including for over-75s in receipt of pension credit. There is no BBC concession to provide free TV licences for all pensioners at this time.
“TV Licence concessions are set out in legislation and are currently available to people who are registered blind or severely sight impaired, as well as to over-75s in receipt of pension credit, and people living in qualifying residential care who are disabled or over 60 years old. The Government is committed to the current licence fee and its available concessions for the remainder of this Charter period, until the end of 2027.”
Concerning the possibility of future changes, the department added: “We are also keeping an open mind about new concessions and are considering a range of options to better account for different household situations. As set out in the Charter Review Green Paper, we do not plan to remove any existing concessions.
“We also do not plan to revisit the decision on over-75s licences as the BBC provides a concession for over-75s on pension credit which targets those most in need of support. It was estimated the cost of the TV licence concession for all over-75s could reach around £745 million per annum prior to its amendment in 2020.”
To view the petition, add your signature and read the complete response in full, click here.
The UK government is considering extending the television licence fee to households using subscription streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video as part of discussions over the future funding of the BBC.
According to a report in The Times, ministers are wary of moving the BBC towards either a subscription or advertising-funded model and are instead examining ways to broaden the existing licence fee system to reflect changing viewing habits.
The BBC has argued that the current framework no longer reflects how audiences consume content, with streaming increasingly replacing traditional linear television viewing. In its response to the government’s charter review green paper earlier this year, the corporation said only 80% of the population now pays the licence fee, despite 94% accessing BBC services each month.
Under current rules, households need a licence to watch live television on any platform or to use BBC iPlayer. This means viewers already technically require a licence to watch live events streamed on services such as Netflix or Prime Video, including sports rights carried live online.
The broadcaster has suggested that expanding the licence requirement more broadly to streaming households could stabilise funding and potentially reduce the overall cost per household. The annual licence fee increased to £180 in April.