BBC licence fee update

I don't agree with a person over 75 who lives with his/her children, being allowed to have a free licence for the whole household nor in cases of an AC living with mum/dad, one or both being over 75.

I believe that anyone who watched tv on any electronic device is obliged to pay a tv licence fee.

I've just skim- read about pension credit and it seems that a free licence will not be given to those who have over £10,000.

You're not eligible for pension credit if you have savings over £10k, well, you can apply but you won't get it and you have to produce a recent bank statement.

Tony Hall has sent an email explaining the reasons for stopping the free licence for over 75s. As someone has said perhaps cutting the silly salaries paid to "talent", bring in people from local BBC stations who would do a better job for less - and perhaps Mr Hall taking a cut of his £450,000 salary along with all the other overpaid executives. I can think of many ways the BBC could save money, as I am sure many other GNs can.

That’s right EllanVannin I have over £10,000 put away and not touched for when I can’t manage without paid help but that completely annuls any help I could get I understand that but when you are living on a pension of roughly £10.000 a year it makes it tight for any extras
I will manage and I m not moaning (I haven’t received it yet 75 after Christmas) but there’s a vast difference between many like me and pensioners with millions or vast thousands I call myself an inbetweener I m not poor poor but neither am I well off I am a ‘manager’ and happy like that but don’t cut any more off me please
If they take my bus pass away I m finished, no car, I cycle or walk but more than a couple of miles or windy cold rainy days and I do need a bus
I think there are better ways they can save money to be honest the BBC pay presenters and sets enormous ridiculous amounts

Age UK have a petition up and running.

Nothing lasts for ever and the licence works out at a tad under £3pw. Not much more than a coffee from Costa.
If elderly pensioners are more or less housebound and rely on their tv for company, then they aren't paying for meals out or entertainment or a varied social life therefore £3pw is not excessive. They will be the ones with a higher income than
those pensioners on restricted incomes such as pension credit who will still be eligible for a free licence.
The money has to come from somewhere, and as we live longer thanks to modern medicine and better food/living conditions, handing out freebies for possibly 30 years from 60-90, is simply not doable when you also factor in the heavier costs of NHS care and PPI packages in that age group.
It's not sustainable when many pensioners are sitting in homes worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
We mustn't be greedy and the state cannot bear the cost from cradle to grave as it currently does in many cases.
Tony Hall made the right decision, the fairest decision, in my book.

BlueBelle, yours is roughly my position too and because I have my NHS pension as well as a state one I don't qualify for anything. Penalised really for working all my life !
I don't drive but take taxi's when shopping or if I can't be bothered waiting for a bus. Like you I'm neither poor nor rich and managing alright.

Also the older I'm getting the more heating I need too. I don't now have holidays, instead I make sure that I have good food to keep me going.
I don't have to sell the family silver yet ! Or the piano.

I believe those 80 and over receive £300 ? winter fuel payment. What's the betting that when I reach 80 next winter that too will be stopped,hahahaha. Ah well, such is life.

The licence (I think) is for having the equipment able to receive the live programmes, so even if you never watch anything of theirs you still have to pay - so they catch you whichever way.

My OH has just said I shall have to find out how to claim benefits (he's 72) in the next three years as those on credits seem to get more and more handed to them - I said you will have to start spending your few savings lol. Work all your life, buy your house, and have a little put away for emergency bills/repairs and they penalise you.
He has a bus pass, but they have stopped nearly all the buses here and if you do want to catch one there is a long walk to/from the bus stop.
I'm one of those caught up in the change to 66 lark so will probably be nothing to get by the time I get there!

This will adversely impact the Just About Managing group....again!

I don't feel 'penalised for working all my life' because I have a state and a work pension, I feel very fortunate. I don't know how people on a basic state pension manage, well I do but I recognise how hard that must be.
I'm happy not to have a free tv licence. I'm pleased that those on pension credits will still get the licence.

The majority of pensioners today who are coming up to 75 aren't as poor financially as my grandparents were by that age. Most of us can afford to pay the licence. As for all the criticism of BBC - I'd pay to watch Line of Duty! Great tv that makes up for a lot of the 'light entertainment' that I never watch.

I'm rather puzzled by this 'penalised' notion, too. I really don't understand why we should expect to get freebies in old age if we can perfectly well afford to pay for them.

I sense that there's an element of resentment about people living in less comfortable financial circumstances getting help with what most people would regard as an essential part of life. As though they don't deserve it because they are poor...

I don't need the free licence but I do object to the likes of Gary Lineker being paid (allegedly) £1.8 million last year and then the BBC making these cuts.

The 'free' tv licence should NEVER have been the responsibility of the BBC to pay. It should have remained with Central Government - or (EVEN BETTER), all these little extras should be stopped and a proper State pension amount brought in. Think UK is lowest in Europe.....
Note, that Boris Johnson is happy to announce that he wishes to reduce income tax for those receiving (not always earning) in excess of 50k. He has said nothing re. State pension allowance!!! Quelle Surprise!!!!!

If you are a waspi
No pension
No bus pass
No free tv like licence to look forward to
Just work till you drop, if you don't fall off your perch first and save the government
even more money

Exactly Cherrytree I fully expect to leave this place in a box !

We got our free TV licence last month! So one year free for us.

I can’t understand why we still get that random £10. The £200 heating allowance makes sense but £10 doesn’t exactly buy a lot of anything. Perhaps a six months supply of liquorice torpedos?

KatyK my feelings exactly!

As I approached my 75th birthday, I wondered how it could be that one day I could afford a TV licence and the next I was evidently too poor. As there has been no change in my finances in the intervening (almost) four years, I can't say I'm devastated at having this privilege withdrawn. It's still worth the few ££ each week.

I have no idea what Gary Linekar does to warrant his BBC salary?

The same with Chris Evans, Jeremy Vine (who also works for Channel 5), Graham Norton et al!!!

'If elderly pensioners are more or less housebound and rely on their tv for company, then they aren't paying for meals out or entertainment or a varied social life therefore £3pw is not excessive. They will be the ones with a higher income than
those pensioners on restricted incomes such as pension credit who will still be eligible for a free licence. '...I can't believe I've just read this.... some people are all heart....

It should be abolished why should households have to pay £150 a year with the threat of prosecution it they don't just because they have a tv to finance the BBC's overpaid executives and so called talent, Andrew Marr and Gary Lineker its a disgrace and taking free licences off over 75 year olds (which I'm not) is the final nail in the BBC's coffin in my opinion.

If the television companies can't get by on the licence fee, they should draw in their horns like everyone else, perhaps imposing a pay freeze, or even a % salary deduction, on senior staff and those with contracts worth more than a certain amount per year.
And I think the proposed TV licence exemption should also apply to those living alone, and that the age for free bus passes should be raised to 70 and subject to a modest annual charge as with railcards.
I agree that this is is something else that will hit hardest at the Just About Managing - while not affecting what many see as the excessive costs of the tv programme-making industry.

The whole licence thing is outmoded. Given that the BBC pay ridiculous salaries and fees, as others have said, have so many repeats and seem to be sliding towards an overkill with reality shows which must be cheaper than producing decent programmes, I cannot see how they can justify this.
I'm not overly concerned as I am not old enough yet (Yippee! Too young to qualify for something at last!!) and pay by monthly direct debit, so I will just trundle on and never miss what I never had, but I do agree that pensioners are a soft target for the government.

At least I have enjoyed two years of free licence. As long as they don't scrap bus passes or start charging for prescriptions. Personally I don't know why they don't scrap the £10 Christmas payment. What can you do with it these days?