The BBC has enlisted a debt collection firm, Themis Recoveries, to send enforcement letters to households suspected of not paying the TV licence fee. The move aims to address a rise in evasion, which the corporation says has reached 12.5%, up from less than 7% five years ago.
Themis will work alongside Capita, which already handles licence fee enforcement and can send officers to homes. The annual licence fee has risen to £180 for the first time, while the BBC faces falling income as more people cancel licences or switch to streaming services.
A report by MPs last year estimated the BBC could be losing up to £550 million annually due to evasion. Themis Recoveries has previously been linked to attempts to recover debts from two fraud victims, according to The Telegraph. The case involved a couple who were victims of a £7,300 identity fraud after a cricketer staying with them allegedly took out loans in their names in 2019.
Former BBC executive David Elstein said many who stop paying are treated as evaders, even if they have simply stopped watching live television. He noted that non-payment is rising due to weaker enforcement, a shift to streaming, and viewer dissatisfaction with BBC programmes.
Prosecutions for non-payment have fallen, with 28,542 cases in the year ending 2024, down from 39,870 the previous year. The BBC is undergoing a major Charter review, which could lead to changes in funding, such as adverts, subscriptions, or paywalls.
A TV Licensing spokesman said the BBC works to support people in staying licensed to avoid criminal conviction. Michael Court, director of Themis Global, said the company prides itself on its faultless compliance record and acted in good faith in the fraud case.
