Plans for 'free TV licence for over 66s' update as government revises response

A plan which would see pensioners handed free TV licences from the age of 66 has almost reached a significant threshold. A petition on the Parliament website calling for the government to fund the BBC document has almost reached 50,000 signatures - halfway to winning a Commons debate which would put pressure on Labour to lay out its position.

Free TV licences are provided to pensioners aged 75 or over who, or whose partner, receives Pension Credit. This means the BBC will cover the cost of the TV licence for those households. However some believe the licences which cost £174.50 per year should be free for over 66s.

The petition says: "We want the Government to fund free TV licences for existing pensioners and those who reach the official retirement age. When people reach retirement age, we think they should receive a state-financed free TV licence.

"Many pensioners live on the breadline with only the TV for company. With the cost of food soaring and utility bills ever higher, we feel there is a desperate need to provide all pensioners with at least this concession. We feel it is a double outrage that those who have given their all to this country in taxes and raising children have to pay a TV licence fee and are only exempt if they receive means-tested Pension Credit. Meanwhile, some media figures draw huge salaries."

It has now achieved 45,404 signatures and it has received a response from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport laying out the government's position. In fact the Petitions Committee decided the original government response was not adequate and now officials have updated the response.

It said there are currently no plans to change the concessions and explained: "The BBC is a vital British asset and makes a huge contribution to lives up and down the country. It supports our democracy, brings our communities together, and helps to shape and define our nation through telling stories about the lives of people in all parts of the UK.

"TV licence concessions are available to people who are registered blind or severely sight impaired, people over-75 and in receipt of pension credit, and people living in qualifying residential care who are disabled or over 60 years old. There are no further concessions available at this time.

"While the Government strongly believes in public funding for the BBC given the public good it serves, we are aware of the financial difficulties faced by some households. For this reason, the Government has announced a significant extension to the Simple Payment Plan (SPP). This will allow unlicensed households experiencing financial difficulty to split up the annual payment into more manageable fortnightly and monthly instalments. The BBC's analysis suggests that the expansion could double the number of households using the SPP to around 500,000 by the end of 2027.

"The Government is committed to the current licence fee for the remainder of this Charter and, as such, will not be changing the available concessions at this stage. The BBC remains responsible for the over-75s concession, including the decision to provide free TV licences for over-75s in receipt of pension credit. Given the existing BBC concession, we have no plans to introduce a new Government concession for all pensioners at this time."

To read the full updated response and see the .