1.5m over-75s yet to be told about losing free TV licence, claim critics

UP TO 1.5million over-75 households who will no longer receive free TV licences have still not been contacted about the new rules, a campaign group says.

Only 40 per cent in this age group have received letters telling them what they need to do under the new system, according to a survey by Silver Voices.

The figure comes despite the scheme already being introduced on August 1. If it was applied to the 3.7million households which will be stripped of the free licences, then about 1.5 million have still not been contacted.

Another 900,000 households are set to retain the benefit because they are on pension credit.

Silver Voices conducted the survey among 400 members and said the over75s should have been given official notification by TV Licensing before the new system came into effect.

The BBC plans to backdate payments to when the scheme started. But the campaign group said there was ‘no legal or moral justification’ for that ‘in these circumstances’.

The group is advising members who received a letter after September 1 to challenge the backdating and argue their licence payment should only start from the date of official notification.

TV Licensing said: ‘everyone who previously held a free over-75s licence will have received their letter by the end of September. Customers do not need to take any action until they have received their letter and they will be given plenty of time to get their licence set up.’