Lords bid to save free TV Licenses for the over 75s
Age Scotland’s Chair and Labour peer, George Foulkes, will introduce a Private Members Bill in the House of Lords tomorrow (Thursday 20th June) aimed at repealing the provision which transferred responsibility for free TV Licences for over-75s from the Government to the BBC.
The move would mean that the UK Government takes over responsibility for paying for and providing the free TV Licence for people over the age of 75, as outlined in the Conservative Party’s 2017 election manifesto.
The Age UK petition, supported by Age Scotland, to save the free TV licence for over 75s has now received more than 565,000 signatures.
Lord Foulkes said: “TV is vital for older people living alone and 3.7 million, including many struggling to survive on the basic pension, now face the loss the of their free TV licence.
“This is a social welfare issue and one that the Conservatives promised in their manifesto to protect for the lifetime of this Parliament. That responsibility cannot be passed from the Government to the BBC.
“My Bill will transfer the responsibility back to the Government thereby enabling them to keep their election promise to maintain these free TV Licences.”
The new BBC plan to only provide a free TV licence to over 75s if they are in receipt of the Pension Credit benefit misses the 40% of older people who, although eligible, do not receive it. This could mean that more than 50,000 of the poorest over 75s in Scotland will miss out on a free licence from next year.
The cost of a TV Licence is now £154.50. This means that large numbers of older people already struggling to make ends meet would have to find an extra £3 per week from their basic pension.
