Almost everyone who watches live television must obtain a TV Licence to do so, but some of us are eligible for a free licence and may not know it.
Every household in the UK is legally required to have a TV licence if they watch or record live TV, regardless of what channel it is on.
However, those of us aged 75 or over who are in receipt of Pension Credit, the TV Licence can be obtained for free rather than costing £159.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Are you missing out on extra money, Cost of Living Payments, help with energy bills and - for over 75s - a free TV licence?
Are you missing out on extra money, Cost of Living Payments, help with energy bills and - for over 75s - a free TV licence?
— Department for Work and Pensions (@DWPgovuk) January 21, 2024
Check your eligibility for #PensionCredit and apply online today https://t.co/2K7tQHWdMh#HelpForHouseholds pic.twitter.com/BKyNUop9ea
"Check your eligibility for Pension Credit and apply online today."
Guidance from TV Licensing says: “Free TV Licences are only available if you’re 75 or over and you, or your partner living at the same address, are receiving Pension Credit.
“If you think you’re eligible for a free licence but can’t apply online, please call 0300 790 6117* and speak to one of our advisors to request an application form (our lines are open between 8.30am and 6.30pm, from Monday to Friday).
“Once we’ve received your application it may take a few weeks to process. If there are any problems we’ll write to let you know. We may also call you if you have given us your phone number.
“There are separate arrangements in place for over 75s on the Isle of Man, the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey.”
How to get a refund on your TV Licence
Even if you do not meet the eligibility criteria for a free TV Licence you may be able to get some money back on yours, so long as it is no longer needed.
If you have already purchased a TV licence but do not watch or record live TV, or stream BBC iPlayer, you could be entitled to a refund worth £159.
Households across the UK can apply for a refund if you won’t need your licence again before it expires, and you have at least one complete month left on it or the licence fee for you expired less than two years ago.
You can apply for a refund online here.
The amount you will be due in a refund will be worked out by TV Licensing, the organisation that issues TV licences.
They explain how they work out the amount you will be due here: “Any refund due is calculated in unused months. You must have at least one complete month left on your licence that you won’t need before it expires.
“So, you could get a refund for between one and 11 months, depending on how long you have left on your licence.
“You won’t be eligible for a refund if there is less than one month between the cancellation date and the expiry date.
“If you haven’t paid for your licence in full, its expiry date may be changed to reflect what you’ve paid.”
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel