THOUSANDS of retirees can get a free TV licence, saving them up to £169.50 per year.
Anyone who wants live television including Sky, ITV, and BBC must obtain one.
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The Government is responsible for setting the level of the licence fee.
Last December it was announced that the government would raise the licence fee by 6.7%, in line with inflation, taking effect from April 2024.
This has brought the cost of a colour licence fee to £169.50 per year and a black and white licence fee to £57 per year.
It is illegal to watch live TV without a licence, and you could be fined up to £1,000 if you’re caught.
But if you are claiming the state pension and are aged 75 or over, you could get the licence for free.
That is because anyone in this age bracket can use the service for free if they are claiming pension credit.
If you’re over 75 and not in receipt of pension credit you have to pay for a TV licence, which could be up to £169.50 a year.
You can also get a free licence if your partner claims pension credit but you do not.
To apply for a free TV licence you can visit the following website, https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/cs/pay-for-your-tv-licence/index.app.
Alternatively, you can call the following number and apply over the phone 0300 790 6071.
But remember, you must be claiming pension credit to get the freebie.
If you are confused about whether or not you claim the payment check one of your bank statements.
You should see an entry with your National Insurance Number followed by the letters “PC”.
What is pension credit?
Pension Credit gives you extra money if you claim the State Pension and are on a low income.
If you live with a partner and you are both of State Pension age, your weekly income must fall below around £350.
However, if your income is slightly higher, you might still be eligible for Pension Credit if you have a disability, you care for someone, you have savings or you have housing costs.
You could get an extra £81.50 a week if you have a disability or claim any of the following:
- Attendance allowance
- The middle or highest rate from the care component of disability living allowance (DLA)
- The daily living component of personal independence payment (PIP)
- Armed forces independence payment
- The daily living component of adult disability payment (ADP) at the standard or enhanced rate.
You could get the “savings credit” part of pension credit if both of the following apply:
- You reached State Pension age before April 6, 2016
- You saved some money for retirement, for example, a personal or workplace pension
This part of Pension Credit is worth £17.01 for single people or £19.04 for couples.
Pension Credit opens the door to other support, including housing benefits, cost of living payments, council tax reductions and the Winter Fuel Payment.
How do you apply?
You can start your application for Pension Credit up to four months before you reach State Pension age.
To apply you’ll need to provide your National Insurance number, information about any income, savings and investments you have, and your bank account details.
If you live with a partner you’ll also need to provide their details.
You can apply online here or by calling 0800 99 1234.
Other ways to get a discounted TV licence
You could be eligible for a discounted TV licence if you live in residential care or sheltered accommodation, or if you’re registered blind.
If you live in sheltered accommodation or residential care and are over 60 or disabled you can get a licence for just £7.50.
If you’re registered blind, or live with someone who is, you’re in line for a 50% discount.
The licence must be in the name of the person registered blind, but if your existing licence is not in their name, you can apply to transfer it.
You can apply for the discount on the TV Licensing website.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
