The annual TV licence fee has reached an all-time high of £180, with further inflation-linked increases scheduled for the next two Aprils. However, households can legally cut this cost to as little as £30.25 per year under certain circumstances, provided they make a successful claim to TV Licensing.
The standard £180 licence covers live television access for most UK households, funding BBC programming and the broader television network infrastructure. While many viewers willingly pay for access to shows such as FA Cup matches, Strictly Come Dancing, EastEnders and Doctor Who, there are legal reductions available for those who qualify.
Blind Concession Cuts Licence Fee in Half
Viewers who are legally blind — meaning sight impaired enough to meet the legal threshold, not necessarily totally blind — can claim a 50% reduction on their TV licence. This reduces the annual cost to £90 for a standard colour licence.
This concession can be combined with a black and white TV licence, bringing the total to just £30.25 for the full year, down from £60.50 for a standard monochrome licence. TV Licensing figures show 6,500 households in the UK still watch television on black and white sets.
Black and White TV Licences Remain in Use
TV Licensing reports that London leads with 1,311 black and white licences, followed by Birmingham with 323 and Manchester with 245. The number of monochrome licences has declined considerably over the years, falling to 6,586 at the end of September 2019 — a drop of 575 compared with the previous year — down from 212,000 in 2000.
Despite the growth of smart TVs, smartphones and tablets, a surprising number of households still enjoy the nostalgia of monochrome sets, which remain popular with collectors, with vintage and portable TVs regularly traded online.
How to Claim the Blind Concession
To claim the blind concession, applicants must provide TV Licensing with a copy of one qualifying document, such as a CVI (Certificate of Visual Impairment), a BD8 Certificate, or a document signed by a local authority confirming blindness. A copy of a certificate from an ophthalmologist, or an HMRC tax code for blind person's allowance, also counts. Only one person in a household needs to be blind for the household to qualify.
There are also ways to reduce the licence cost to £0. Households claiming Pension Credit with someone aged 74 or over qualify for a free licence, while those who stop watching live TV — including via ITVX and Channel 4 online — can legally avoid paying the fee altogether.
