I’m sure you will have heard the news that free TV licences for all those aged 75 or over will come to an end on 1st August. This was initially going to happen on 1st June this year but was extended due to lockdown.
This means that you won’t automatically be entitled to free TV licence once you reach the age of 75. If you receive Pension Credit you will still be able to apply for a free TV licence.
You should be entitled to Pension Credit if you have income of less than £173.75 for a single person or £265.20 for a couple. Benefits checkers such as Turn2us can help you work out if you are entitled to this or other benefits. If you think you eligible and don’t already receive it you can apply online at gov.uk Pension Credit or on the Pension Credit Claim Line 0800 99 1234.
If you already have a free over 75 licence you will be covered until 31 July 2020. You don’t need to do anything just yet. TV licensing will be writing to all free over 75 licence holders soon to let you know how you may be affected and what you will need to do next. You do not need to make any payments until you have received this letter.
If you do need to pay for your licence after August, please take extra care to make sure you are paying the correct people. There are a number of scams circulating around TV licence payments and these are likely to increase at this time. There is some useful information about avoiding and reporting TV Licence scams on their website here
If you are 75 and get Pension Credit, you won’t get your free licence automatically, you will need to apply for it. You can apply now if you wish but TV licensing say there is plenty of time and you don’t have to rush to do it.
More information about all of the changes, including how to apply for a free licence is on The TV Licensing website. It should also be in the letter they send to you.
If you want some help or advice about applying for a free TV Licence or about Pension Credit (or both), please contact Valerie at Caring Together and we can work through it together to see what you are entitled to and to help you apply
