Pensioners hold protest over government scrapping free TV licences

Hundreds of pensioners joined a protest against the government’s decision to pass the buck and leave it up to the BBC to decide whether the currently free TV licences for over 75s should be scrapped or means-tested.

The government currently funds the scheme but is withdrawing from it in June 2020. It has left it up to the BBC to decide whether older people should still receive free TV licences.

The protest outside the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport took place, just weeks after the BBC’s consultation on the future of the concession closed and before the broadcaster makes its final decision. The BBC is said to be looking at raising the age of the concession from 75 to 80 or 85.

Jan Shortt, general secretary for the NPC (National Pensioners Convention) said: “One in four over 75s say the TV is their main form of companionship, and the scale of loneliness among older people is growing.

"Pensioner poverty is also on the rise for the first time in a number of years, and scrapping the concession will only make that worse. It’s been said that at least 50,000 more pensioners will fall into hardship if they end up having to pay for their TV licence."

A BBC TV licence currently costs £150.50. It is set to rise in April to £154.50.

Ms Shortt added: “We know that one of the main reasons the concession was introduced in the first place was because the UK’s state pension was so low – and sadly that’s still the case. Frankly, it’s not the job of the BBC to fund part of our social policy. That’s the job of government and that’s what we’ll be telling them loud and clear.”

The concession was originally introduced in 2000 and costs £745m a year.

A Government spokesman said: “The BBC will take on responsibility for free licences for the over-75s from 2020 and it is right that they have consulted the public before making any decisions.

“We’ve been clear that we would want and expect them to continue with this important concession.”