Each year, tens of thousands of UK citizens are charged with non-payment of their TV licence fee, including vulnerable individuals such as a man who missed payments while in hospital and a woman with a brain injury who forgot to pay. The cases have raised concerns about the criminalisation of non-payment under the Single Justice Procedure (SJP), introduced in 2015 for minor offences.
Josiane, a single mother on maternity leave, was unaware she needed a licence after buying a TV. She had previously lived in shared accommodation where the licence was included in her rental agreement. Despite attempting to set up a direct debit, only one payment was taken, leading to a prosecution. She described her fear of contracting Covid-19 during the pandemic, which made it difficult to use PayPoint as advised.
Journalist Tristan Kirk has documented numerous egregious cases, including a woman with Down's syndrome whose finances were managed by the council, yet she was prosecuted. Under the SJP, a single magistrate often works from home, and prosecutors are not involved in hearings, meaning mitigating circumstances like mental health issues or learning disabilities may go unaddressed.
A TV Licensing spokesperson stated: 'We will not prosecute anyone if we receive evidence that shows us there are significant reasons – such as mental health issues or severe financial hardship – why they could not obtain a licence.' However, critics argue that the SJP prevents such evidence from being properly considered.
Josiane, now with her partner, remains frustrated by the system. 'It's not something they teach you when you move to the UK,' she said. The cases highlight a broader issue of 'conveyor belt justice' that campaigners say undermines the rule of law.
