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Would you be willing to pay more for your TV licence to ensure it stays free for over 75s?

471 replies

ChaosTrulyReigns · 10/06/2019 18:14

I blinking would.

Angry

I know it's be a administrative impossiblity to achieve, but volunteering to pay an extra £5/£10 per year? Could it work?

OP posts:
SaintAlice · 12/06/2019 20:49

I think that the BBC is a great thing (for the most part) and I am happy to pay my own £13 a month. But I do not oppose the reintroduction of licence fees for pensioners. For every pensioner who will struggle to pay, there is another like my own mother and father who have far, far more spare cash for luxuries than I do.

Manaphy · 12/06/2019 20:49

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48607896
So apparently Ben Fogle is donating his salary towards over 75s getting the license fee. He said "I think society is in danger of losing its moral compass." Why, because we don't watch enough BBC?

And who exactly is the money going to? Which particular over 75s will have their license fee paid by the oh-so-generous Mr Fogle?

HelenaDove · 12/06/2019 21:09

from the Changes to Pension Credit thread

"For eg, under UC, couples are treated as permanently separated after 6 months. If mixed age couple split after 15 May, older partner can't claim UC due to age but can't claim PC as need to be separated for 12 months to no longer be treated as couple"

So why should those couples on UC who split up be classed as split up after six months.

Yet if a mixed age couple split after 15 may they arent classed as split until 12 months.

What has this got to do with this thread about the tv licence i hear you cry? Well a lot of people are saying that pensioners should pay like everyone else.

How is it fair that an older person is not considered spilt up for 12 months here but for a person under pension age its 6 months.

Where is the even stevens that everyone is crying out for in this situation?!

mycatismeowican · 13/06/2019 15:06

The oldies in my area are absolutely minted so no way on earth will I provide them with a free tv licence.

mycatismeowican · 13/06/2019 15:09

If giving it free to oaps on a pension why not extend that to all other people on UC ?

Toddlerteaplease · 13/06/2019 15:18

Nope. All the over 75's I know have loads more money than me. And the ones that genuinely don't can still get it free with pension credits.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 13/06/2019 15:28

No. Absolutely not. Television is not a necessity. I think the money would be vastly more useful if spent elsewhere.

BrokenWing · 13/06/2019 15:34

My elderly, housebound, widowed, frugal mums incomings are over £1500/month (DLA and Serps pension) her outgoings are

BrokenWing · 13/06/2019 15:40

No. Absolutely not. Television is not a necessity. I think the money would be vastly more useful if spent elsewhere.

I wouldn't like to see any elderly housebound person without basic access to TV. If they can afford it then sure they pay, otherwise for these vulnerable people I would argue it is a necessity to their wellbeing.

Whisky2014 · 13/06/2019 15:42

Seems to me like the people who don't agree with the change should actually be angry at the PC not being fair, its nothing to do with the tv license

Ladymargarethall · 13/06/2019 15:47

I saw Esther Rantzen crowing about her free TV licence and that did it for me. Why should she have a free licence? Unless she has been very profligate over the years (unlikely) then she can afford to pay for it. There are many comfortably off pensioners, so why should it be free for us? I am not 75 yet, but DH and I both have state pensions and various occupational pensions which leave us better off than our son and daughter-in-law, with two children and a mortgage. We are not rich, but comfortable, as are most of our friends.

CitadelsofScience · 13/06/2019 15:50

LadyMonica No. Absolutely not. Television is not a necessity. I think the money would be vastly more useful if spent elsewhere

Some people are housebound a lot of the time, myself included. Tv then does become a necessity to hear other human voices. Loneliness is an awful thing.

DizzySue · 13/06/2019 15:58

No, I don't believe tv licences should be free for over 75's the money could be used elsewhere.

I have several family and friends who are over that age and quite wealthy, they use the money saved on tv licenses and fuel allowance to upgrade their holidays abroad.

AuchAyeTheNo · 13/06/2019 16:01

No.

Simple because it allows the BBC to continue charging for a license. If we let them away with this god knows what they will hit us with next

Lazysundays18 · 13/06/2019 16:02

I grudge the fact that I have to pay it at all.

Whisky2014 · 13/06/2019 16:08

@Lazysundays18 you don't have to. If you don't watch BBC channels or I player...

MissEliza · 13/06/2019 16:10

I would rather the BBC cut down on the waste and useless crap. Please tell me why licence payers fund an overseas news channel?

notsodimwit · 13/06/2019 16:13

YES! I am on minimum wage but I definitely would 🙁 the tv was my late nan's lifeline 😪

Freyasmum1 · 13/06/2019 16:16

No I wouldn't sorry. Because the poorest pensioners are going to continue getting it anyway and I think feeding my kids takes priority. Sorry not sorry

theworldistoosmall · 13/06/2019 16:25

you don't have to. If you don't watch BBC channels or I player...

That is wrong. You need a license if you watch any channel/iPlayer. You are only exempt if you only watch via streaming services except for iplayer.

GorkyMcPorky · 13/06/2019 16:36

Nope. My grandparents were / are working class but all currently perfectly able to afford it. My gran gets plenty from the state as it is.

FaFoutis · 13/06/2019 17:39

This morning my mother phoned me to rant furiously about now having to pay for her TV licence. Then she told me she was going on holiday to California to play golf next week.

onceandneveragain · 13/06/2019 18:33

theworldistoosmall you missed out 'live,' as in 'You need a license if you watch any channel live, or iplayer.' If you only watch catch-up on CH4, 5, iTV etc, or subscription services such as netflix, prime, you don't need a license.

If you watch any channel live, or bbc on catch up you do, and radio can be listened to whatever.

Relevant because, for all those complaining about the removal of the fee, even for the small minority of those that fall within the 'not on PC but can't afford to pay £3 per week' group, it's still not a choice between starving or pure loneliness due to no TV at all, as people are suggesting, because those pensioners, like a huge number of younger people do due to them needing to 'scrimp and save,' can also just use catch up or streaming services.

People say older people can't handle technology but that's just as offensive as any of the other 'poor/scrimping/saving/use racist terms because they don't know any better,' ridiculous generalisations.

A roku/firestick etc costs less than £30 as a one-off (less than three months of the license fee) and comes with a remote so is just as easy to use as a normal freeview box, which all pensioners have managed to switch to in the last few years since they cut off the analogue signal.

If we're bringing the 'lived through the war' generalisations into it, then they are also the generation who were code breakers and early computer programmers. Throughout their lives the average 75 year old has managed to get to grips with TV, internet, mobile phones, computers, ATMs, microwaves, increasingly computerised cars to mention just a few things that weren't (or barely) even invented when they were born or growing up.To suggest they can't operate 4od is offensive.

doleritedinosaur · 13/06/2019 18:35

Nope I wouldn’t.

Those on pension credits will still get it free those who aren’t can afford the £12 a month.

They’ve had cheap houses, cheap economy & great pensions.

It should be means tested.

Lumene · 13/06/2019 18:37

No.

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