You must make sure you meet criteria before cancelling your licence fee (Image: Getty)
A TV licence fee costs £180, and more Brits are now turning to streaming services instead of traditional television. With household finances already tight, Brits are feeling the pinch amid rising costs.
The BBC said in March that it was willing to consider cutting the licence fee or offering more concessions to help make it more affordable for some. Currently, there are three concessions funded from licence fee income, including free TV licences for over-75s on Pension Credit, half-priced licences for the severely sight impaired or blind and an annual fee of £7.50 for people living in some types of care.
TV licences could be an extra expense if you’re not getting much use out of it (Image: Getty)
Who needs a TV licence?
A TV licence is required if you:
- Watch of record TV on any channel or service
- Watch live content on streaming services, such as ITVX, All 4 and YouTube
- Use the BBC‘s iPlayer to watch anything live, on demand or on catch-up
This applies to a TV, computer, laptop, phone, tablet, games console or digital box.
If you never watch live television on any channel, use BBC iPlayer or any TV services, you don’t need a TV licence.
Refunds are paid by cheque or bank transfer (Image: Getty)
How do I cancel a TV licence?
If you want to cancel a TV licence, you have to ensure nobody in your household is watching content which requires one. Be warned that fines for watching without a licence can be heavy.
You cancel a licence by completing a cancellation and refund request form on the TV Licensing website.
To confirm your cancellation, inspectors may ask to visit. If it is found you should still have one, then you face being fined.
This can be up to £1,000 in the UK, £2,000 in Guernsey and £500 in Jersey. You would also have to pay the full TV licence fee.
When can I claim a refund?
You can apply for a refund if you will not need your licence before it expires and you have at least one complete month left. If you are eligible for a blind concession, you can apply for a refund at any time and for any period of time left on your licence.
You can apply for a refund up to 14 days before the date you no longer need the licence. TV Licensing aims to process and issue refunds within 21 days of receiving an application.
Refunds are paid by cheque or bank transfer. They are based only on whole, unused months. To check your licence expiry date, log in to your TV Licensing online account.
A refund can be issued for a number of reasons, including no longer using TV-receiving equipment and mistaken purchases. They can also be refunded if the licence holder has died or moved abroad or another licence covers the same address.
But these aren’t the only reasons you can get a refund – there are a few more reasons on the list.
You may be eligible for a refund if you:
- You do not watch or record live TV on any channel, or use BBC iPlayer on any device.
- You move to a property that already has a valid TV licence
- You have two licences for the same address after buying a licence by mistake
- A refund can be claimed for the remaining time if a licence holder has died
- You move into residential care or sheltered accommodation
- You are permanently leaving the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man and moving abroad