Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jun 23, 2025

750,000 over-75s 'refusing to pay BBC licence fees' after it stopped being free

750,000 over-75s 'refusing to pay BBC licence fees' after it stopped being free

They could risk £1,000 fines and possible jail time if they don't pay for their licence.
The £157.50 licence had previously been free for people over the age of 75 for 20 years, but the Government shifted the responsibility for the licences onto the BBC in 2015. The BBC then withdrew the free service as it looked to pensioners to cover the funding hole.

The move has been criticised by many who feel the elderly should continue to have free access to the BBC. Now 750,000 pensioners are ‘risking the legal consequences and refusing to pay’, The Sunday Mirror reports. The large group could be forced to pay £1,000 fines and even face between three and six months of jail-time if they do not pay.

People cannot be directly imprisoned for TV licence evasion, they can be for failing to pay court fines which can include TV licence fines. The Government was set to decriminalise non-payment of the BBC licence fee, but these plans were put on hold due to the pandemic.

Campaigners, including Silver Voices and The National Pensioners’ Convention, celebrities and other protestors, have spoken out against the elderly having to fork out for their licence.

Some critics, including former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe, argued that pensioners shouldn’t pay for the salaries of stars on ‘c**p’ shows ‘full of swearing and violence and nudity and sex’.

Show hosts, including Match of the Day’s Gary Lineker and Strictly’s Claudia Winkleman, make around £1.75 million and £365,000 a year. Silver Voices director Dennis Reed said the BBC had ‘flooded’ over-75s with reminder letters to pay their licence. He said: ‘Some had three or four letters in the last couple of weeks reminding them their licences would be cancelled.

They are desperate to get people to pay. ‘The BBC has made a total pig’s ear of this and if the courts start fining and jailing the over-75s their roof will fall in.’

The BBC denied that there are 750,000 pensioners refusing to pay their licences and also denied sending more than two reminder letters.

A spokesperson said: ‘Around 80% of over-75 households have now transitioned to the new system, including those in receipt of Pension Credit who are eligible for a free licence funded by the BBC.’ The BBC said it had received 750,000 free licence applications but noted that there was ‘no evidence to suggest that customers we are yet to hear from are refusing to pay’.

The broadcaster’s own figures show there were 4.2 million licences in place for households with over-75s before the free licence was scrapped on August 1. Since then, 2.7 million licences have been paid for by customers over-75 and 750,000 have applied for a free licence. This leaves a shortfall of 750,000.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
×