Free TV licence to go?

The TV licence should be abolished, they are serving up exactly the same rubbish as the commercial channels, it really has gone downhill in recent years.
Then the BBC fat cats would have to work for a living.

I would imagine all those who have the free licence will keep it and people coming up for 75 in 2020 won’t get it. DH will be 75 in 2020 ?

I think the licence fee system is outdated now. How much does it cost to administer?

Surely 99% of the population watch or listen to the BBC at some time - it should be financed from general taxes. I know there's a board of governers and supposedly editorial independence but it's basically an arm of government.

Why should the over 75s get free tv licences just because they are over 75? Many of us can well afford to continue paying it. It should be limited to those on pension credit and disability benefits.

I would rather than all these demeaning benefits; free tv licences. winter fuel allowances etc, were scrapped. They suggest that we, older people, cannot be trusted to manage our own money unless someone puts it into special little boxes for us. They should be replaced by an increase in the state pension of their monetary value spread across a year.

I don't agree its demeaning MOnica but I do think it would be a good idea to scrap all the odds and ends with an increase across the board. This would let the BBC off the hook though.

I never watch live television, BBC news is always biased, nor do I listen to the radio.

DH was 75 in May so we qualified for the free tv licence. I said at the time they will probably scrap it soon now. It’s no big deal to us as long as they use the money they save wisely.

Exactly what MOnica said.

Perhaps it should be by income? I find the television great company being alone (apart from my beloved bearded collie). I am quite selective in my viewing I watch between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. as a rule. If I went to the cinema or theatre every evening it would cost a fortune, so good value in my opinion. I don't pay for the licence.

I rarely watch television but couldn’t live without my radio (or my Alexa) . I agree the licence scheme is very outdated.

But, we need at least one channel which is advert free!

Although I'm not 75 yet, I know plenty of weathy over-75s and I can't see why they shouldn't be paying for their TV licence. I can afford to pay for mine, and that isn't going to change when I'm 75. If some pensioners can't afford it, the licence could be free to those on certain benefits, or those with only the State pension.

The same applies, in my opinion, to the Winter Fuel payment, and the ludicrous £10 Pensioners' Christmas Bonus should be scrapped too. (You didn't know about this? It's just paid into your bank, with no notfication.) The comfortably-off don't even notice it, far less trot off to treat themselves to a packet of crackers and a Christmas pudding.

The bus pass is whole nother issue and probably deserves (or has even had) a separate discussion. It's not just a transport subsidy, it gets older people out and about, helps prevent loneliness and isolation, reduces traffic congestion by encouraging us to leave our cars at home and get used to bus travel - and to get rid of our cars entirely when we're no longer safe to drive. If they scrap it, many older people won't get out much, or will persist in driving when they ought to give up.

Right or wrong, the free TV licence for over 75s is a social policy, so the BBC can't decide by itself to discontinue it.
That is up to the Government, the Govt told the BBC that they (the BBC) should pay for it. I don't know what would happen if the BBC refused to go on paying.

We could qualify as my husband is over 75, but as the licence is in my name wehave chosen to carry on paying it.

(Actually I would probably pay it just to watch Bodygard!)

As we're thinking of other benefits as well, I've just been googling the long-gone national free swimming for over 60s scheme, which DH qualified for 4 months before it was scrapped. It applied to children too, of course. I'm surprised (and a bit jealous) to see that swimming is still free for our age group in so many areas, but not here (nor do I get the free bus travel that most of the country's over 60s seem to enjoy). DH still goes, but now just once a week, and apparently often has the local pool to himself, whereas it was busy in the days of the scheme. Surely encouraging older people to exercise and keep fit would have benefitted the country in the long term?

Yes, I can go swimming for free here in Manchester. A good example of joined up thinking, keeping older people healthy and less of a strain on other services.

That is the first time I have heard of free swimming for over 60's. Definitely not in London or certainly not NW London.

I think we should just be given our money and then left to spend it as we choose. I do not have a bus pass because I have always been prone to travel sickness and my biggest problem is with buses.

I have a bus pass , but very few buses on our route ! I complained vociferously the last time one was cancelled , much to DSs embarrassment ......... he is a local bus inspector . I used to use the bus to get to my morning Art Class , till they decided that these "Leisure Painters" were a waste of space and cancelled the class ... sigh ... and we were paying full price for the class

I think free TV licences and winter fuel allowance should be means tested i used to clean for a couple who saved their state pension up for holidays, owned 2 cars jags, and had a big house with me as cleaner ,had gardeners etc,
I have just turned 75 and get a basic state pension, couldnt afford a car and rely on my bus pass
The first thing this conservative Government did [David Cameron]was knock winter fuel allownce down by £50

Perhaps the answer is to add the value of these perks to the benefits received by those on pension credit as the means testing has already been done for them. Everyone else would then not receive the freebies. It probably wouldn't be a perfect system as there would be some who don't qualify for pension credit who may struggle to pay, but at least the very poorest would be helped if these perks are withdrawn. People on high incomes can choose not to claim a bus pass or continue to pay for their tv licence as Ilovecheese has chosen to do. I'm not yet retired so won't be eligible for a bus pass for a couple of years. I plan to take mine if it is still available, but don't expect to use it much as the bus services are so limited and I continue to run a car, but once retired I might have time to walk the distance required to get to a regular bus route and the exercise would do me good. I'd definitely need that incentive to use the buses thus keeping my car off the congested roads some of the time. I intend to downsize when I retire and where I move to will take into account the bus services and nearby amenities as I want to be able to stay independent as long as possible even if I have to stop driving at any point.

the BBC use over 90% of their funding from Wales to make WELSH programmes ,in Scotland we get a bit over 50% of the money they raise and a lot of that goes on things like Question time where SNP appear only 2 % of the time despite being the third largest party in Westminster and who have over double the number of MSP's as all the rest put together ...dont get me started on their love affair with Farage !! I'm joining the ranks of non licence payers .You dont have to let them over your door if they turn up,the State broadcaster can live without my money .I dont watch it anyway .

I`m not exactly on the breadline, but not wealthy either, and I was so looking forward to qualifying for a free TV license, which happened in June, so I`ll be feeling a wee bit peeved if they take it off me now.

Missterious for many it is a lifesaving drug! I think it should be free. Some can afford to pay but over 75s may not remember to renew their licence and could face a fine.. I certainly wouldn't think of it. And means testing it is such a costly palaver as Mrspn said for what I'm sure would be a small amount in total. I think we should leave pensioners benefits like this and bus pass alone. It helps them stay healthy and therefore potentially saves the country money as well.

I really can't understand why fellow pensioners are decrying the few "freebies" that we get. I feel I've worked hard all my life, including a lot of overtime to make ends meet. I've done a good job of bringing my children up (alone), I spent the last few years of my mother's life visiting her 4 times weekly whilst still working fulltime and also did housework for her in a Saturday. Surely I'm not begrudged a few free bus rides and a bit of help towards winter warmth. (I'm always cold due to medical reasons
I'm not old enough for a free tv license but you can pay them monthly so don't have to bear the cost in one big payment.
Those that think they shouldn't get these "perks" could give their WFP to charity and not use their bus pass.

Sorry, I did get it wrong about when a licence is needed. Info is available here - www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one

Including this :
Do I need a TV Licence if I watch on a mobile device?
If you’re using a mobile device powered solely by its own internal batteries – like a smartphone, tablet or laptop – you will be covered by your home’s TV Licence, wherever you’re using it in the UK and Channel Islands.

However, if you’re away from home and plug one of these devices into the mains and use it to watch or record live TV programmes on any channel or device, or to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer, you need to be covered by a separate TV Licence at that address (unless you’re in a vehicle or vessel like a train, car or boat). It’s the law.