With the fee set to go up by £5 from next month, some individuals are eligible for a massive reduction in their licences – even as low as £0 – if they meet certain criteria
The cost of the TV licence is set to increase in the coming weeks, adding to the financial strain on many households, particularly pensioners relying on their weekly state pension.
Despite the popularity of streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video, almost all households are still required to pay the £169.50 TV licence fee. This is because watching any live programme as it’s broadcast, or any BBC show, necessitates this payment.
With the price set to rise by another £5 to £174.50 in April, now is the perfect time to explore ways to reduce your TV licence costs, potentially even to zero.
State pensioners don’t automatically qualify for a free TV licence. They need to be 74 or older and have an income below a certain threshold.
In order to qualify, your income must also be low enough to be eligible for Pension Credit. This benefit is awarded to those with a weekly income of less than £218.15 (£332.95 for couples), which will increase to £227.10 in April (£346.60 for couples), reports the Express.
Those who reached state pension age before April 2016 will be on the old basic state pension, which pays only £169 per week (rising to £176 in April). Therefore, unless you have other income or savings, everyone on the old state pension will be eligible to claim Pension Credit.
However, this is not automatic – it must be claimed from the DWP with an application. But if you’re getting Pension Credit, a free TV licence could be on the cards for you.
Those already on Pension Credit do not need to wait until they turn 75 as they can apply for a free licence aged 74.
TV Licensing said: “You can apply for a free TV licence if you, as the licence holder, are 75 years or older AND you, or your partner living at the same address, receive Pension Credit.
“If you already receive Pension Credit, you can apply for your free licence when you are 74 years old. We’ll update your payments to cover you until your 75th birthday, and then you’ll be covered by your free licence. We’ll confirm this in writing.”
Even if you have too much income for pension credit, should someone in your home be legally blind, you could slash the cost of your TV licence by half, knocking it to £84. It takes just one person registered as blind at the address to halve the entire household’s licence cost.
