over 75s TV licence

I think that the free TV licence should be available to people over 75. As several people have pointed out, not everyone can afford to be without the ‘perks’ available to pensioners. I am not claiming poverty, far from it. But I do have a tight budget and I currently make good use of the WFA, free prescriptions, eye tests & occasionally my bus pass. If it is free by the time I’m 75, I will accept the free TV licence gratefully. I worked full time for 40+ years as a teacher but have more recently helped my grown up children with mortgage deposits. I feel I have paid my way all my life. I expect many others have done the same. And therefore we have earned these benefits.

If people vote Conservative they should expect this sort of thing. This government doesn't give a damn about those in the lower levels of income.

I think there was a lot of grumbling when the free tv licence, the bus passes and winter fuel payment were introduced.

They seemed to be a 'sop' to pensioners rather than increasing the state pension to the level of that in other countries.

If you genuinely cannot afford it no..otherwise yes. American TV is awful parly because it has to bow to its big corporate sponsors. I would hate all TV to be like that.
BBC does produce sime quality stuff. It does however need to sort its impartial reporting out.
Though to be fair consumers on left & right accuse BBC of bias...maybe they are just reporting the facts which are just unpalatable for one group or another so they get accused of bias!!

As long as you have no scruples, paying the TV licence is optional. NOBODY, has ever been convicted via a detector van and you are under absolutely no obligation to enter into any discussion with those that allege (usually wrongly) that they are employed by the BBC.

You have a choice, it is up to you to use it.

I filled in the BBC questionnaire re the licence fee.
My preference was for those receiving pension credit to have the free licence added to their DWP 'account' along with the Winter Fuel payment and Warm Home Discount (if applicable)
Everything in one place and each provider is assured of the authenticity of the claim as the DWP know address, phone and NI numbers.
My second choice was for over 75s to pay 50%.

*Jaxie

*Let's come back to that if Labour get in number 10.
It won't be the bed of roses you think it will be.

Labour will be in No.10 if tonight's result is anything to go by.

rebonk you are definitely wrong about nobody having been prosecuted as a result of a detector van because a member of my family was. £300 fine and that was over 10 years ago. 3 years ago my DH rented an apartment in England for 6 months. He didn't bother buying a TV so wasnt watching TV. He had several letters from TV licensing and on one occasion actually rang them and told them he had no TV as was only there for a short time. They said they accepted this and he wouldnt be bothered again. Two weeks later there was a knocking at his door at 10pm and when he opened the door a man from TV licensing walked past him to see if there was a TV in his apartment.. My DH was very angry but they guy just shrugged his shoulders and walked out again.

rebonk I know of a few people who were fined! The van was in the area of the school where I worked. The neighbours spilled the beans and the families were tje talk of the playground!

We can afford to pay for the heating of our little home as well as the TV license. We already donate the entire heating allowance to homeless charities both local and national. Were the TV license still to be in place when we reach 75 we’d do the same. The simplest solution to this problem would be to tax these benefits.

As it so happens I have a chronic health condition and am very grateful that I don’t have to pay for my prescriptions every month. The NHS should of course be a special case.

The government is hell bent on privatising all goods and services - starving them of cash and then offering intervention by private firms (that they and their donors own).

But have we really seen this route to be beneficial to ordinary people? Think: Serco, Group 4, Virgin trains, ferry companies with no ships. And is more ITV really the answer? The BBC is renowned worldwide. Are we going to let it go?

Following this well worn route of starving services, the government is to cut £800 million BBC funding over the next 4 years. BUT it has wasted: over £11 billion (note different order of number!) on the failed NHS centralised e-record system, 46 million on the garden bridge project, etc etc.

And we should mention the $500 billion (more telephone numbers!) given to the banks in the last 10 years with not much to show for this except another crash looming!

After Austerity cuts there are now many older people who are left by themselves all day, cold, lonely and hungry. Libraries and day centres are closed and the only entertainment they have is the TV.

Abolishing or watering down the concession would have a serious impact on these older people who rely on TV, particularly the many on low incomes, who are sick or disabled, isolated or alone.

In solidarity with these, I will not be paying my Licence fee (whatever the implications) when I turn 75 this May.

I didn't know bus passes could be renewed at a library, round here it would be difficult to find a library open.. As for tv licences they are free for now. £3 per week is only just a bit more than one coffee out. I was looking forward to my free licence. ?

Maybe if I didn't have "free" tv I would get up out of this chair and move more ? or would I be like my wee granny ? I remember her in the corner beside the fire with the darning basket beside her reading the paper with the aid of a huge magnifying glass !

An update to my previous post.
My H is now a permanent resident in the care home.
The SW rang me on Thursday but could give me no information about fees.
I rang the Finance Dept of my LA and spoke the dept dealing with charges for Adult Services, they confirmed that I can keep half of my H's occupational pension or if that wasn't adequate I could claim benefits.
I am so relieved as I will manage ok with my share of his pension.
I shall not be cruising round the world ,but then, I wasn't before.

That is great news Ann

That is very good news and must be a great relief annsixty.