While living costs remain high, Britons are being urged to check if they’re entitled to any additional support. One bill people often forget to consider is the TV licence.
Priced at £159 a year, the fee can add significant pressure to a person’s finances, depending on which way they choose to pay it.
For many, renewing the TV licence is commonplace, however, there are certain circumstances that could mean a person is entitled to pay a lower fee.
If conditions are met, people can claim discounts ranging from 50 percent to 100 percent, which can help make a sizeable cost saving.
Discounts are available to people who are severely blind, people aged over 75 years old that receive Pension Credit, and those residing in care homes. The amount of discount a person receives depends on which group the person falls into.
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Who is entitled to a 50 percent discount?
People who are blind (severely sight impaired), or live with someone who is blind, could be eligible to claim a blind concession TV licence.
This would reduce the annual fee from £159 to £79.50 for a colour TV licence and £26.75 for a black and white TV licence.
To claim the blind concession licence, people must provide at least one of the following documents to confirm they are certified as blind:
- A CVI (Certificate of Visual Impairment)
- A BD8 Certificate
- A certificate or document issued by a local authority that shows they are registered as blind (severely sight impaired)
- A copy of a certificate from an ophthalmologist (eye surgeon), stating that they are blind (severely sight impaired).
For people who live with someone who is blind and already has a TV licence, they’ll have to transfer the licence into the name of the person who is blind, in order to claim.
However, it must be noted that those who are partially sight impaired will not qualify for a discount.
Who is entitled to a free TV licence?
If a TV licence holder is 75 years or older and they, or their partner living at the same address, receive Pension Credit, they could be entitled to a full discount.
Pension Credit is a benefit that tops up the state pension for people on a low income, but it has a significantly low take-up despite many being eligible, according to the charity Independent Age.
After April’s DWP benefit uprate, Guarantee Credit can now top up a person’s income to at least £201.05 per week for single people and £306.85 for couples. Savings Credit now pays up to £15.94 extra per week for single people or £17.84 per week for couples.
So, it could be a good time for people to check if they’re eligible for Pension Credit, as it can also help people claim other things like housing benefit, or help with heating bills, council tax, NHS dental care, and so on.
People who are 75 or over and live in a residential care home may be covered by an ARC (Accommodation for Residential Care) TV licence and also won’t have to pay for a licence – even if they don’t receive Pension Credit. TV Licencing advises people to speak to their care home administrator to find out.
When do people need a TV licence?
All households in the UK that watch live TV must own a licence. This includes all programmes on any channel and the same rules apply to those who watch live TV from a laptop, PC, tablet, or phone.
A licence is also needed if a household downloads or watches programmes broadcast on BBC iPlayer – live, catch up, or on demand.
However, they will not need a licence if they only ever watch catch-up TV (not including BBC) or streaming services like Netflix or Disney+.
