BBC licence fee update

Why all the talk supporting pensioners on pension credit? What about people who are on state pension with no occupational pension, these are the people who will be put in hardship, and these people have worked all their lives.

If my Mother was alive and only getting state pension I would pay for her TV licence, some people do not have families and are not so lucky.

Seems to me they are penalising the wrong end of the age group - what with all the techi things you can do these days on the television - don't ask me what they're all called. But don't you think us oldies are probably more likely to watch basic television and haven't a clue how to use the other things available. Whereas the youngsters who have grown up in the press button age make use of it all, so they should be paying more.

I also agree with an earlier comment - we watch a lot of football and the number of people they send to a game to talk about it is ridiculous. I reckon we could all make quite a few cutbacks in the expenses of running the BBC given half a chance.

Sounds good Cherrytree. You go first. When's yours due? I'll follow you if you don't get clapped in irons.

I think Martin Lewis has something on his web site re what equipment requires a license.

2nd time of mentioning Mumsnet today
Gonegirl I have read threads on MN where 'Mums' have refused to buy a TV license.
So maybe a Gran's revolt would be in order.

A lot of people on Twitter are saying they haven’t bought a license for years, one was 10 years but I wonder how they get away with it

Re the bus pass.
Does anybody think as I do that we should have a bus pass for the area in which we live but not be entitled to travel for free in other areas?
Are not the people living in holiday resorts subsidising pensioners who are getting free travel in their towns?

Has anyone pointed out to the BBC that if they stopped throwing money at "celebrities", talking heads, executives, so called "stars" that I've never heard of but whom apparently everyone else " loves" - eye-watering sums of money chucked about like confetti - could be better used to allow older people their life-line in providing free licences.

I just hope those who are entitled to Pension Credit now make every effort to claim it. I am sure Age UK and other charities for the elderly will help with form filling. I understand millions isn't claimed at present. We'll pay up it just feels as if we have been done over by people on huge salaries. I hope the bus pass remains.

If you're not very bright, like me, filling in the information to get Pension Credit practically needs a degree.?????

My husband and I survive on the state pension and a very small private pension, we are just slightly over the pension credit amount which is payable for people receiving £255 or less for a couple. So now having to pay tv licence is more money we will have to try to find. The BBC is happy to spend millions a year on sport,taxis to ferry their staff and guests about,huge salaries for some presenters. It is a pity that they don’t value their core audience. I read that the average age of viewers to the BBC is 62.

The pension credit is in two parts, one part is guarentee credit and the other is savings credit, to work this out they use in the calculation savings, investments over £10,000 - for these £1 is counted for every £500 or part £500.
It is most definitely worth seeing if you can claim. Even if you are only eligible for £1 extra a week you can get other benefits. A relative of mine only gets the savings credit part which is a couple of pounds but it entitles her to lower council tax and in the future free tv license. So please apply.

Is anyone on here really gonna be brave enough not to pay it. Mine's not due till April, so will wait and see what others do.

It's the people who fall just above the pension tax credits level that I feel sorry for.

I am fine with it. I love the BBC and would happily give up other things to pay double for the licence fee. Have you ever watched tv in other countries? It is dire - no wonder our TV is the envy of the world. There are a lot of very comfortably well-off pensioners in the UK and those that aren’t will be helped anyway.

Expected this, missed out on pension at 60 still working at 66, now TV licences, if bus passes go and I'm not able to drive will get an electric bike. Cycle to work on good weather days but hills are getting harder. Hope they don't take away free prescriptions as may need those in the future (OK at the moment).

I’m ok with it as well.... try fuming about the women pensioners who have lost thousands of pounds when the pension age moved. I was lucky and only lost about £7,000.... my friend lost£16,000...l and another acquaintance has lost over £22,000. Compared to this indecency , paying for a tv licence is a small price to pay.

My DH is 75 at the end of 2019.....doe this mean he will get the free licence, or? Why on earth isn’t the £10 Christmas bonus scrapped? It’s useless nowadays and must cost more to administer than its worth. It was began in the 1970’s, when £10 bought a whole lot more!

Although we will miss out, I think it is OK to pay if you are over 75 as long as people on pension credit don't have to pay. I think there are a lot of young families just under the benefit level who struggle without anything free. After all, the licence is just under £3 per week

It makes me cross that I've to wait for my pension till age 66 and my bus pass then probably no TV licence maybe no fuel allowance too whilst all these years rich people have been accepting them when they don't need.
I've watched friends who have lots of money , property left by relatives. I don't begrudge anyone but feel that I've worked all my life and have due to mental health reasons have had to support family and haven't been able to save as others have. A bus pass would have made my life so much easier.

Maddyone, I agree absolutely with all you have said.

I agree the licence fee should be scrapped - its outdated, but this would probably mean we would have to have advertising on BBC programmes. It would have been better if they had started by letting the over 80s have free licences - give us an incentive to live longer. To a lot of elderly people the TV gives companionship.

EllenVannin if you don;t mind losing the winter fuel allowance then you don;t need it, some do, and it helps for any extra heating being used for an unexpected bad winter,
I try to pay a bit extra than i am asked to on my DD for my gas and electricity, but often as in the winter before last it was very cold and i bet most people used more heating than usual
Also most elderly people spend more time in their homes than younger people so therefore use more heating anyway

mmm. I am 85 and could pay it but i will not while MPs get free TV licenses. I have already written to my MP asking why she should have a free TV license when MPs ear £70K and more. There is a large group of older people who will defy the charge and go to court over it. it will not be a good look when the newspapers show 80 and 90 year old going to prison!
I worked at BBC in London in 1983. I was a researcher.

Three billion pounds worth of pension credit is unclaimed every year. So many people who are entitle to pension credit but do not claim will miss out on a free TV licence.

Riverwalk, I agree the fee is outdated. I suggest we do not pay a fee any more. Let the BBC fund themselves by adverts as the rest of the channels do. We shouldn't pay the BBC by tax. If they were funding themselves maybe they would stop paying so much money to their executives and look at ways to cut costs. As it is now, there is no incentive for them to do this and they have free rein

Just don't pay the licence fee, what are they going to do ? Put millions of pensioners in prison ? It would ensure that they were warm and got three meals a day.
BBC not fit for purpose.