Droitwich Spa Forum for Older People slams decision to take away free TV licences for the over 75s - The Droitwich Standard

Droitwich Spa Forum for Older People slams decision to take away free TV licences for the over 75s

Droitwich Editorial 13th Jun, 2019 Updated: 14th Jun, 2019   0

THE DROITWICH Spa Forum for Older People has hit out at the decision to revoke a free TV licence for those aged 75-years-old and above saying pensioners feel ‘victimised’, writes Isabel Kimbrey.

The BBC revealed its plans to strip the benefit on Monday (June 11) and said only those in receipt of Pension Credit would be entitled to a free licence next year.

It will affect more than 7,500 households in Wychavon which has caused outrage amongst the area’s pensioners.

Sheila Neary, 79, vice-chair of the Droitwich Forum, said they had many members sign the Age UK petition to prevent them losing the benefit.




“It’s a very sore point with the older generation and many people have said they feel victimised.

“People must remember that older people have paid into the system their whole life and continue to volunteer and this is how we are repaid”, she added.


Sheila confirmed members of the forum will be discussing ways they can protest against the decision at their meeting next week.

TV licences have been free for over 75s since 2000 through Government subsidies but responsibility for cost of them will be passed from the Government to the BBC in June 2020.

The corporation said the scheme was unaffordable as it was expected to cost £745million in 2021/22. That amount is a fifth of the broadcaster’s budget and the equivalent of what is spent on BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, the BBC News channel, CBBC and Cbeebies combined.

Caroline Abrahams, charity Director at Age UK said: “The BBC’s decision will cause those affected enormous anxiety and distress, and some anger too, but in the end this is the Government’s fault, not the BBC’s,”

She called on the new Prime Minister to intervene.

“The decent thing for the Government to do is to continue to fund the entitlement until the BBC’s overall funding deal comes up for negotiation in 2022.

“This would be warmly welcomed by our older population as a much fairer way to proceed,” she added.

Sir David Clementi, chairman of the BBC, said: “A significant number thought the Government should continue to fund it – an option not open to the BBC.

“The Government could of course step in and close the gap from their own resources.”

  • WHAT do you think? Is it right to scrap the free TV licence for the over 75s? Email [email protected] with your views.

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