Thousands of local pensioners set to lose their free TV Licence

Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Marc Tierney is urging older people to have their say before the BBC makes its decision on scrapping free TV licences for the over 75s.

As part of the last BBC charter the UK Government devolved responsibility for the free TV licence policy, and the cost, to the BBC. From 2020, the BBC can decide what to do with the benefit and they are currently consulting on a number of options including scrapping the free TV licence concession altogether, raising the eligible age to 80 and means testing it, for example by linking it to pension credit.

Marc Tierney is calling on older people and their carers to make their views known on the proposals before the deadline of February 12th.

New figures produced for the Labour Party by the House of Commons Library show that under each of the changes proposed by the BBC in their consultation, 6,500 pensioner households in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire are at risk of losing their free TV licences.

If the age threshold is raised to 80, 75% of local pensioners will lose their TV licence. If free TV licences are means tested 77% will lose their free licences.

The prospect of elderly people losing their free TV licences makes a mockery of Theresa May’s claim that austerity is over. The Government should take responsibility and save TV licences for the elderly.

Marc Tierney, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire said:

“The Tory Government knew what it was doing when it forced the cost of paying for free licences for over 75s out to the BBC. By doing so, the Conservatives and Simon Hart MP have broken one of their election pledges.

“I am completely opposed to this and Labour is still firmly of the belief that the Government was totally wrong to outsource a social policy in this way.

“It will be a terrible blow to older people who already struggle to make ends meet and particularly to those who are housebound or isolated and rely on their TV for company. The Campaign to End Loneliness found that 40% of older people say their television is their main source of company.

“The Tory Government needs come clean and to tell us urgently what they are going to do to ensure free TV licences aren’t cut and they don’t break their manifesto promise. If they do nothing, responsibility for older people losing their TV licences will rest firmly at their feet.”