From the BBC:
“TV licences: BBC to go ahead
with over-75s licence fee changes”
The BBC is to go ahead with a
plan to end free TV licences for most over-75s, after a two-month delay because
of the coronavirus pandemic. That means more than three million households will
be asked to start paying the £157.50 fee from 1 August. Only those who receive
the Pension Credit benefit will be exempt. The BBC said the new scheme is
"the fairest decision", but the government said it was "the
wrong decision" and Age UK called it "a kick in the teeth".
Why has this decision been taken?: The controversial change was originally due
to be made on 1 June, and the BBC said the delay had cost £35m a month. The
cost of continuing to provide free licences to all over-75s could have reached
£1bn a year over time with an ageing population, according to the corporation. BBC
Chairman Sir David Clementi said the decision had "not been easy",
but the broadcaster is under "under severe financial pressure" and a
further delay would have had an impact on programmes. Actor Ricky Tomlinson led
a protest outside the BBC's MediaCity in Salford last June The BBC has
previously warned that making no changes would have led to "unprecedented
closures" of services. It has also previously said it must make an extra
£125m savings this year as a result of the pandemic, including the cost of
delaying the over-75s changes. Free TV licences for the over-75s have been
provided by the government since 2000, but responsibility for the provision was
passed to the BBC as part of its last licence fee settlement.
What has the reaction been?: The Age UK charity said it was
"bitterly disappointed", describing the move as "a kick in the
teeth for millions of over-75s who have had a torrid time during this
crisis". More than 630,000 people signed an Age UK petition when the BBC
first announced the plan in 2019. The charity has now urged the BBC and the
government to "urgently sit down and agree on a solution to keep TV
licences free". Age UK charity director Caroline Abrahams said many older
people would either have to give up their TV, which is "more of a lifeline
than ever", or other essential purchases. "Everyone needs to
understand that under the BBC's scheme many hundreds of thousands of the
poorest pensioners will be facing a bill they will simply be unable to afford
to pay," she said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said the BBC
had made the "wrong decision", and the government believes the
licence fees in question "should be funded by the BBC". Culture
minister Matt Warman said the move was "deeply frustrating". But
Labour's shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens said: "The refusal of the
government to fund this vital service after promising to do so is nothing short
of betrayal. "Many over-75s have spent months at home with TV providing an
invaluable source of company during the pandemic. For the government to blame
the BBC who are having to contend with huge cuts is simply passing the buck. Julian
Knight MP, Conservative chairman of the House of Commons culture select
committee, called the situation "a mess" and said the new regime
would be "a body blow to millions of British pensioners". Many
over-75s will find it difficult to pay because they are not online and may be
either unable to unwilling to leave their homes, Mr Knight added. Broadcaster
and Labour peer Dame Joan Bakewell said some older people could and should pay
- but there is a "suffering middle" who will struggle. "The rich
old have lots of savings and investments, and they can well afford it,"
she told BBC Radio 5 Live. But she added: "Not enough will get it free.
There are layers of people above the earning [level] that gets you the benefit
who also should be allowed to have a free licence fee... It's the suffering
middle who perhaps find life expensive but are not reduced to needing state
benefits." She added that she had
hoped incoming director general Tim Davie could have brought "some
original thinking" to find a better solution.
How will the new system work?: The BBC said there would be a
"Covid-safe" payment system, meaning people can apply online, and
there will be a dedicated phone line and support staff. "No-one needs to
take any immediate action, or leave their home, to claim for a free TV licence
or pay for one," a statement said. TV Licensing will write to all licence
holders aged over 75 with clear guidance about how to pay, it said. Almost 1.6
million people claim Pension Credit, according to the latest government
figures. Of those, 450,000 have already applied for a free licence.
^ Whether there was Covid-19 or
not this is a bad move. People 75 years and older usually live on a very
fixed-budget and adding to that – especially for a TV License – puts unnecessary
strain on them. I don’t understand the need for a TV or Internet License System
at all. Many countries no longer use them and that includes some countries that
once had them. ^
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-53347021
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