Tories take free TV licence off 1.6m disabled elderly
Labour slams outrageous bid
Gwyn & Brad POLICY Tory George Osborne
Chris Martin ALMOST 1.6 million disabled pensioners face losing their free TV licences if Tory policies end the benefit.
And 2.4 million over-75s who live alone could also lose their entitlement if tough curbs are imposed on the perk.
Shadow Culture Secretary Tom Watson said: “It will be outrageous if millions of disabled older people, many of whom are housebound and live alone, lose their free TV licence.”
Some 4.46 million homes have free licences because they have an over-75 living there – saving families £150.50 a year.
Figures passed to the Mirror, which is campaigning to protect free TV licences, show 1,594,823 people over-75 claimed a disability benefit.
Yet they could be forced to fork out £150.50 a year after then-Chancellor George Osborne passed the bill for the £720milliona-year commitment to the BBC from June 2020.
REven if the benefit is meanstested – which is one option the BBC is looking at – then more than 955,000 pensioners could lose out, according to Labour.
The BBC said it needed to hear views to make a fair decision. And Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright has insisted: “It’s right for the BBC to consider their options. It’s now their responsibility to decide.”
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