TV licence discounts: How to reduce your bill by 50 percent or get it for free | Personal Finance | Finance
A TV licence is mandatory in the UK for people who watch live television and record programmes to watch later. Being £159 a year, many families may struggle to pay for this expense especially with the rising cost of living, however research shows that many people could be paying less.
Over half a million people (586,000) are not claiming this freebie which could save them hundreds.
Approximately 589,000 people are not claiming their free TV licence which could save them £159 a year, according to charity Turn2us.
Figures from charity Turn2us show that billions of pounds are lost in unclaimed benefits every year, with pensioners most likely to miss out.
It was reported that one third of pensioners who are eligible aren’t even claiming pension credit, the benefit that offers the free TV license.
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Britons receiving pension credit who are over 75 can get the TV license completely free.
It will also cover anyone else the claimant lives with, regardless of their age.
Additionally, people who are blind or who have a severe sight impairment can also claim a 50 percent reduction on the cost of their licence.
Care home residents will pay a concessionary rate of £7.50, while over-75s in residences that have ARC schemes are eligible for a free licence.
DON’T MISS
Anyone who has already paid for a TV licence and now realises they could be eligible for a free one, can apply for a refund.
How much is a TV Licence in the UK?
£159 for a year which can be split into monthly payments
Free for pensioners on Pension Credit
Half price for people who are blind or who have a sight impairment £7.50 for individuals who live in a care home
Across the UK, there are over two million people living and dealing with some form of sight loss, according to NHS statistics from December.
Of this staggering amount of people, some 360,000 are registered as legally blind or partially sighted by the public health provider.
Once the necessary information has been handed over, claimants of the discount will not need to show their evidence again when renewing their licence.
The Government is looking into scrapping the BBC licence fee altogether.
The House of Lords communications and digital committee is currently considering how to fund the BBC in the future.
The inquiry comes after the rise in popularity of streaming services like Netflix has changed the way people watch TV.
Baroness Stowell of Beeston, chair of the committee, said: “The broadcasting landscape is shifting rapidly, with intense competition, rising production costs and changing viewing habits.”
She explained: “Our inquiry will look at this changing media landscape and examine how the BBC should be funded in the future to deliver what is needed from a national public service broadcaster.”
