The TV Licensing company has been sending out letters to households across the UK
Households across Britain are being reminded about who must pay for a TV licence, as the licensing company continues to warn residents their properties could face visits. Citizens Advice has outlined what steps you can take if you receive correspondence from the licensing organisation.
These letters can seem quite threatening, frequently featuring bold red text. They might also threaten penalties and legal action, appearing rather daunting. However Citizens Advice guidance states: “You ONLY need a TV licence if you watch live TV on any channel or streaming service, or if you use iPlayer!
“If you don’t think you need one, you can opt out online to stop receiving letters.”
Who needs to pay for a TV Licence?
If you have a television but don’t watch it, no licence is needed. If you’re caught watching live broadcasts without a licence, though, you face a potential £1,000 penalty, or even prosecution.
A TV Licence is required if you view or record live television programmes on any gadget, including televisions, desktop computers, laptops, tablets, or mobile phones. You need a licence to watch anything on BBC iPlayer, too, whether this is live or on catch-up.
However, if you’re viewing content on other streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, ITVX, Disney Plus, YouTube, All 4 or My5, no TV licence is needed, unless you’re viewing live programmes through these services.
On its website TV Licensing explains: “We write to all addresses where there is no TV Licence or a current declaration to say that one isn’t needed. If you tell us you don’t need a TV Licence, we will stop sending you letters.
“We may confirm this with a visit. We do this because we’ve found that when we visit and make contact, 1 in 14 people who say they don’t need a licence actually do need one.
“Remember, a TV Licence isn’t just for TV sets. It applies to any device. If you tell us your property is empty, we’ll stop sending letters to your address for up to six months.
“If you have just told us you don’t need a licence and then receive a letter from us a day or so after, this is usually because our records are being updated. You don’t need to respond”.
