The UK government has indicated it is open to new TV licence concessions for pensioners as part of the BBC Charter Review. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has provided an MP with an update, recognising that 'new concessions' remain a possibility.
Minister's response to MP's question
Conservative MP Matt Vickers asked the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy, what assessment her department had made of the potential impact of extending free TV licences to pensioners at risk of poverty and social isolation. Minister of State Ian Murray signalled that the government was looking into potential reforms, which could include 'possible new concessions'.
Murray said: "The BBC Charter Review Green Paper sought views on ways to make the BBC's funding fairer, including possible new concessions. As set out in the Green Paper, we do not plan to remove any existing concessions. This includes the concession for over-75s on pension credit, which targets those most in need of support. In 2024, the government also extended the Simple Payment Plan to support those facing financial hardship to spread the cost of their TV licence."
Current licence fee and concessions
The standard annual BBC TV licence fee is £180 for a colour licence and £60.50 for a black and white licence, effective from 1 April 2026. Any household or property must pay the standard fee if they watch or record live television on any channel or service, stream TV live on online platforms, or download and use BBC iPlayer.
Existing concessions include free licences for over-75s in receipt of pension credit, people registered blind or severely sight impaired, and people living in qualifying residential care who are disabled or over 60 years old. The DCMS confirmed there is no concession for all pensioners at this time.
Petition and future review
A petition on the Parliament website, which attracted more than 66,000 signatures, called for free TV licences for all pensioners. The petition stated: "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 government is considering responses to the Charter Review public consultation, which closed on 10 March 2026. These will inform policy decisions for the next BBC Royal Charter, set out in a White Paper expected later this year. The DCMS noted the government is committed to the current licence fee and its concessions until the end of 2027, and is keeping an open mind about new concessions.
