BBC scraps free TV licences for millions aged over 75

No less than 3.7 million pensioners aged over 75 will no longer receive free TV licences, following a decision by the BBC to make them pay for it.

Credit: Shuitterstock

Those aged over 75 who receive pension credit (around 900,000 households), will still receive a free TV licence from June 2020.

News of the BBC’s decision to scrap universal free TV licences for the over 75s in favour of means-testing, comes as BBC chairman David Clementi said it had been a "very difficult decision".

The BBC chairman said: “We think that’s fair to those over 75, but fair also to all our audiences for whom there was no appetite for the level of cuts that would have been necessary if this concession had been extended to everybody.”

Free TV licences were first introduced in 2000 but in 2015, the government announced the BBC would take over the cost of providing free licences for over-75s by 2020 as part of the fee settlement.

The cost of free TV licences was expected to total £745 million - a fifth of the BBC's current budget by 2021/22.

The average age of BBC TV's audience is over 62-years-old. The BBC’s decision follows a consultation last year with 190,000 people, of which 52 per cent were in favour of reforming or abolishing free licences.

Mr Clementi added: “A large number of those who are over 75 said that they were prepared to see reform or see it abolished completely.

"There are people for whom this will be unwelcome news, who have not paid until now but will do so.

"We know we have a loyal audience over the age of 75 and we think many of them will understand the difficult position we are in."

Reaction on Twitter to the BBC’s announcement included much criticism with tweets such as ‘Of course, not al pensioners struggling financially are entitled to over pension credit. It’s also hugely underclaimed.’

The charity Age UK tweeted ‘The BBC have just announced they plan to means test the free TV licence for over 75s.

'Their decision will cause many older people huge anxiety and distress. But this is the Government’s fault, not the BBC’s. It is open to a new Prime Minister to intervene.'