The Government has issued a statement on the £180 TV licence discount scheme for pensioners, amid growing calls to expand eligibility to all older people. Currently, only certain groups qualify for a free TV licence, saving them £180 a year on a standard colour licence.
Who currently qualifies for a free TV licence?
You can get a free TV licence if you claim Pension Credit and are aged 75 or older. Some other groups of older people or those with certain medical conditions also qualify. The rules were tightened in 2020; before then, anyone aged 75 and over could get a free licence.
Petition calls for expansion to all pensioners
A petition to the Government is calling for the eligibility rules to be expanded so that all pensioners qualify. 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."
The petition has reached 50,000 signatures. If it reaches 100,000, the issue will be considered for debate in Parliament.
What does 'retirement age' mean?
The petition does not specify what it means by "retirement age." If it refers to the state pension age, this is currently moving from 66 to 67 between April 2026 and April 2028. There are plans for another increase from 67 to 68 between 2044 and 2046. Alternatively, the campaigners may mean the age at which you can start drawing down your pension, currently 55, moving to 57 from April 2028.
Government response
As the petition reached 10,000 signatures, the Government was obliged to issue a response. The Department for Culture, Media & Sport replied on June 1, confirming there is "no BBC concession to provide free TV licences for all pensioners at this time." The response explains who currently qualifies: "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 added: "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."
Petitioners' argument
The petition argues: "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."
You can sign the petition on the Parliament website.
