Petition for free TV licences for pensioners reaches 26,000

A public petition calling for the government to fund free television licences for all state pensioners has passed a key milestone, triggering an official government response. The petition, which has garnered over 26,000 signatures, argues that the annual fee is a financial burden for older people.

The standard colour TV licence fee increased to £180 per year in April. To qualify for a free licence, a person or their partner at the same address must be aged 75 or over and in receipt of Pension Credit, a means-tested benefit. Universal free licences for all over-75s ended in July 2020, a change the BBC said at the time was necessary to avoid unprecedented service closures.

The petition, created by Michael Thompson in January, states that many pensioners live on limited incomes with television as a primary source of company. It describes the current system as a "double outrage," arguing that those who have paid taxes and raised families should not have to pay the fee unless they qualify for Pension Credit.

In a formal response issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the government said it is committed to the current licence fee and its existing concessions until the...