Campaigners have been calling on the BBC to make all TV licences free for over 75s – not just those on Pension Credit. However, some Express.co.uk readers have already cancelled their licence to save on the £159 annual fee and it’s not just pensioners who are struggling.
The reader continued: “The letter also states that I should tell them if I no longer need a licence, but if I do they’ll come to visit me anyway, which is not much of an incentive to keep them informed!”
Another reader Dingle6677 said they weren’t surprised that Britons were cancelling their TV licence as they said it’s the “final straw for millions of people”.
Meanwhile, thousands of pensioners are missing out on a free TV licence because they haven’t claimed Pension Credit.
Pensioners could be entitled to Pension Credit from the Department for Work and Pensions (DPW) if they are earning less than £177.10 per week and have reached state pension age.
Pension Credit is a gateway benefit to additional help like a free TV licence and money towards energy bills and council tax.
Yet nearly a million (850,000) British households are thought to be missing out.
A TV Licensing spokesperson said: “We want to help customers remain correctly licensed and we continue to work with groups throughout the UK which support people who fall into financial difficulty.
“There are payment plans available to help spread the cost, and anyone 75 or over who receives Pension Credit is eligible to apply for a free licence paid for by the BBC”.
On its website it also clarified who doesn’t need a licence: “You don’t need a TV Licence if you only ever use Netflix or other online TV services to watch on demand or catch up programmes, except if you’re watching BBC programmes on BBC iPlayer.
“If you only watch on demand programmes on Netflix and don’t watch TV live on any TV or streaming service, and don’t watch BBC iPlayer, you may cancel your TV Licence if you won’t need it again before it expires.”
Pensioners could be entitled to Pension Credit if they are on a low income.
They should get in touch with their local benefits office or go to Gov.uk.
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