A petition calling for free TV licences for all pensioners has gathered more than 20,000 signatures, obliging the government to issue an official response. The petition, hosted on the Parliament website, passed the 10,000-signature threshold that requires the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to reply.
Under current rules, only pensioners aged 75 or over who receive Pension Credit, or whose partner at the same address does, qualify for a free licence. The standard UK TV Licence costs £180 per year, while a black-and-white licence costs £60.50. Universal free licences for the 3.7 million over-75s were scrapped in July 2020, with the BBC at the time arguing that funding them all would lead to unprecedented closures.
The petition argues that many pensioners live on the breadline and rely on television for company, while facing soaring food and utility costs. It says it is a “double outrage” that those who have contributed through taxes and raising children must pay the fee unless they receive means-tested Pension Credit, while some media figures earn large salaries.
The development comes as a government review of the BBC’s Royal Charter examines the corporation’s funding model. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has previously described the licence fee as “unenforceable” and “insufficient”. The BBC has said it is willing to consider radical options for future funding, and its new director-general, former Google executive Matt Brittin, has warned that difficult choices lie ahead about the organisation’s size and shape.
Mr Brittin also disclosed that work has begun on modifying programmes and services in response to changing consumer habits. The BBC is aiming to cut 2,000 posts and reduce costs by 10% over the next three years. He said the corporation must “serve its content into the digital environment” and find efficient ways to do so, while preserving its values for the modern world.
