The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has confirmed it does not plan to remove existing television licence concessions, including the 50 per cent reduction for blind people, while it reviews possible new reductions. The update follows a question from Conservative MP Mark Pritchard to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy about extending the 50 per cent concession to people registered as partially sighted or sight impaired.
The BBC's most recent annual report showed that TV licence numbers fell by more than half a million during the 2025/26 financial year. The licence fee stands at £180 annually for a colour television, following a rise on 1 April, though several concessions are available.
Existing Concessions and Eligibility
Those aged 75 or over who receive Pension Credit, or live with a partner receiving it, are entitled to a free TV licence covering all residents at their address. Applications can be submitted at age 74 for those already claiming the benefit, and payment remains necessary until the month preceding their 75th birthday.
A 50 per cent discount is available to those registered blind or living with someone who is. The licence must be held in the blind person's name; if not, a fresh application can be made to transfer it. A concessionary TV licence for those registered blind costs £90 for colour and £30.25 for black and white.
Applicants must supply documentation confirming their certification as blind, such as a CVI (Certificate of Visual Impairment), a BD8 Certificate, or a certificate from a Local Authority showing registration as blind. For Northern Ireland residents, TV Licensing accepts either Health and Social Services documentation or a letter from an Optometrist.
Government Review and Future Funding
Ian Murray, Minister of State at the DCMS, said there are no plans to remove help and that a current review will look at possible new concessions. He 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, including the 50 per cent reduction for blind individuals."
Murray added: "The public consultation on the Green Paper closed in March 2026 and we are now considering consultation responses. These will inform policy decisions for the next BBC Royal Charter which will be set out in a future White Paper, expected to be published by the end of the year."
Those living in residential care or sheltered accommodation can obtain a TV licence for £7.50, provided they are retired and aged over 60 or disabled. A housing manager can verify eligibility and submit the application on their behalf.
Petition and Proposals for Change
The cross-party Social Market Foundation (SMF) think-tank has suggested an £11 monthly 'Home Internet Levy' on existing consumer broadband bills to replace the BBC TV licence fee. The SMF said this charge would be nearly £50 cheaper than the current £180 licence fee. The BBC is losing around 500,000 licence fee payers a year, with total active TV licences dropping to 23.3 million, down by about 539,000 in a single year.
A petition on the Parliament website calls for Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to rule out charging people using only streamers. Around 3.6 million people formally state they do not need or have a licence. If people only stream on services like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube and never watch live TV, they do not need a licence.
The petition, signed by more than 16,000 people, said: "There are widespread reports that the Government is considering extending the BBC licence fee to include subscribers of streaming services that are not owned or run by the BBC. We believe this is a wholly unacceptable proposal. Amid a cost-of-living crisis, we believe the Government should be finding ways to save the public money, not expanding their means of taxation. We feel the BBC already has a tarnished reputation, and this move could further diminish the reputation of the BBC."
Because the petition received more than 10,000 signups, the DCMS was forced to respond, saying it was keeping an 'open mind' on options. If the petition reaches 100,000 backers, it will be considered for a Parliamentary debate. Officials said: "The Government is considering responses to the public consultation on the BBC Charter Review Green Paper. We are keeping an open mind on future funding of the BBC. No final decisions have been taken."
Officials added: "The BBC exists for all of us. It is a vital national institution that informs, educates and entertains audiences across the UK. The BBC sits at the heart of the UK's creative and media ecosystem, delivers trusted news and information, supports jobs and growth across the nations and regions, and continues to provide services used by the vast majority of UK adults each month."
Speaking on BBC News, Ms Nandy said: "We're looking at a number of options. The only thing we've ruled out is direct taxation, partly because of the cost-of-living pressures, but mostly because we are very concerned to safeguard the BBC's independence. We're looking at a number of options. The minute that I start ruling one out, people will suspect that there's a master plan for others. The truth is, if it were easy to do this in a cost-of-living crisis, another government would have done it earlier. But we are determined to put the BBC on a sustainable financial footing in the fairest way we can."
