Call off the TV licence ‘heavies’, BBC urged
BBC bosses have been urged to call off TV Licensing “heavies” after they began knocking on the doors of over75s who have not paid their fee.
Around 260,000 elderly people have held out against paying the £159 charge since it was imposed on them last summer.
So-called customer care visits have now begun, which the BBC says will provide support and information.
Campaign group Silver Voices has written to director-general Tim Davie to raise concerns about their impact, especially on those with dementia and other chronic conditions.
It warned about mental health issues as licensing staff turn up “unannounced on doorsteps”.
Pensioners visited by workers from Capita, which runs TV Licensing, have been advised to “politely show them the door” by SilverVoices.
Phantom
The group’s director Dennis Reed dubbed the outsourcing firm’s teams “uniformed heavies”.
Despite these pleas, at least 20 visits have been made so far. In some cases a letter was put through the letterbox. It states: “I visited today and We’re Here to Help.”
The group says there is no mention of enforcement even though TV Licensing will know that these households have held a free licence.
Mr Reed said: “These phantom and token visits reveal the lack of confidence of the BBC in pursuing this huge group of stubborn over-75s who are resisting the scrapping of their welfare benefit.
“Instead of wasting public funds by going through these motions, the BBC should agree with the Silver
Voices proposal for an enforcement amnesty for all those who previously received a free licence, at least until the next general election.
“This would also get the Government off its hook of promising to keep the free licence until at least 2022.”
Letters went out last month to those who have not paid, warning their licence is “cancelled” and customer care visits are being carried out.
A TV Licensing spokesman denied they were enforcement visits.
They said: “We are supporting a small remaining group to get correctly licensed and this includes customer care visits, which are carried out by members of staff who have received special training in supporting older customers.”
It is understood staff explain the options available based on a customer’s circumstance, such as spreading the cost or applying for a free licence if they receive Pension Credit.
Around 4.2 million were hit by the rule change. Charities say it has left some having to choose between heating, eating
or paying the fee.