Maybe this should be means tested as well as by age
I disagree very strongly with means testing, particularly for older people.
By saying that the right to anything should depend on means takes no account of expenditure, treats people as household units when they have paid tax as individuals, and removes the freedom to save or plan for old age.
By this I mean that some people may have what seems to be a decent income, but may need to to pay for a variety of things that are not taken into account when assessment is made. If assumed income is based on that of the household, it leaves scope for a coercive partner to control what happens (so in this case he or she could refuse to pay for a licence), and this is very unfair on the other partner who may have paid tax to contribute to the economy for many years.
Finally, what is the point of having a nest-egg for old age if it means that you will have to pay for things that would have been free if you hadn't bothered to save?
For reference, I am 60 - a long way from qualifying for a free licence, so I have no axe to grind here. I just object when I hear people thinking that they have the right to judge the 'neediness' of older people, and to decide whether or not they should qualify for things like travel passes and TV licences. It's not as though it costs more to let over 75s watch - the programmes would be going out anyway. The argument that younger people would be 'subsidising' them is also fallacious IMO, as it's a quid pro quo - older people will have paid to subsidise the young ones before they had to pay, as will the next generation when its turn comes.
I know that the costs involved in paying the TV licence for over 75s are relatively small, but the arguments against means testing hold true for other things too, IMO. I struggle to think of any situation in which it is fair. Taxation of income (earned or unearned) at source is a far fairer system, and after that people should be free to spend (or save) their money as they see fit, without being penalised for their choices.