A standard colour TV licence currently costs £180 per year, but some people can get it for free or at a reduced cost. Pension Credit claimants aged 75 or over, some care home residents and certain students may be able to avoid paying the full fee.
Pension Credit claimants aged 75 or over
If you are claiming Pension Credit and are at least 75 years old, you can apply for a free TV licence. The TV Licensing website states that you qualify if you, as the licence holder, are 75 years or older, and you or your partner living at the same address receive Pension Credit.
Separate arrangements apply for people over 75 on the Isle of Man, the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with more information available on the TV Licensing website. The organisation also notes that it is aware of a "scam which gives incorrect information about changes to the free TV Licence".
Some care home residents
Some care homes have a special licence that covers residents, meaning they do not have to pay. People who are retired and 60 or over and live in an eligible residential care home, supported housing or sheltered accommodation can receive an Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) concessionary TV licence for £7.50 per year.
The TV Licensing website explains that retirees in paid work "must be for no more than 15 hours per week" to qualify. You can also get one if you are living in a residential care home or sheltered accommodation and are disabled, regardless of age. Applicants "must have substantially impaired sight, hearing or speech, a mental disorder or be substantially physically disabled by illness, any impairment present from birth or otherwise", according to the website's FAQ.
You can continue to get the £7.50 discount after reaching state pension age, which is currently 66 but gradually rising to 67 over the next two years. In some circumstances, you may get one at no cost at all under a rule known as preserved rights. If you reside in sheltered accommodation which lost its ARC concession after June 1, 1998, you may have preserved rights and qualify for an ARC concession. If you were covered by an ARC concession in that accommodation on or after June 1, 1998, you may be able to claim a concessionary £7.50 licence before you turn 75. Beyond that point, you can get it for free without having to be in receipt of Pension Credit.
Students in specific circumstances
While you will need a TV licence registered at your shared house or accommodation in most circumstances, you can watch on devices such as a laptop, phone or tablet that aren't plugged into the mains if you are covered by an "out of term" permanent address, such as your parents' home, The Sun reports. However, as soon as you watch a programme with your computer plugged in, you will need to get a licence.
You also currently avoid the need for a fee if you are only watching on-demand streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. This does not apply to BBC iPlayer, and you will need a licence for watching any content streamed live on these platforms.
