Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
OLDIES AUNTIE
Millionaires get tax breaks and we OAPs get sweet damn all
have now paid up, meaning only 100,000 did so since November. An extra 750,000 applied for free licences available to anyone on pension credit. That leaves a 750,000 shortfall based on the
BIG EARNERS Claudia and Gary
A “FAIRNESS” campaign group has argued the BBC was right to scrap the free licences for over-75s.
The Intergenerational Foundation said there was “simply no reason why retired judges, lawyers, bankers and doctors should receive a free TV licence when younger generations are struggling financially”. Senior 4.2million over-75s who previously shelved last month. More than 10,000 held free licences. Some have signed an online petition criticising could be covered if other the broken Tory pledge to people in the house have protect free licences – introduced by a licence, if they have Labour in 2000. The BBC had to take stopped watching over responsibility as part of its last BBC – or have died. funding settlement in 2015.
The figures came as Continuing the subsidy in full plans to decriminalise would cost £745million a year – which nonpayment the Beeb says it cannot afford. So last summer, despite the Tory were vow, the freebies were axed, triggering
researcher David Kingman said that by December 2021 free TV licences for the over-75s would cost the BBC £745million a year.
That would mean slashing BBC spending by a fifth.
He said: “This decision also touches on two much larger debates.
“Firstly, the growing salience of
inter-generational inequality as a political issue, as funding the free TV licence for the over-75s out of the general licence fee would imply a large financial transfer from younger to older viewers.
“Secondly, the debate about the BBC’s future role within a rapidly changing media landscape, where it is
Ivy with framed copy of free TV licence
BATTLING Ivy Siegfried blames the Government for “passing the buck” to the BBC when it offloaded responsibility for funding free licences.
Ivy, 83 – who attracted worldwide attention after appearing on TV opposing the fee – said: “Everybody seems to get money because of Covid. Most pensioners have to stay in all the time. The only thing a lot of us have is the TV.
“Even if they don’t make it permanent why can’t the Government give pensioners £157 for their TV licence until this is all over?”
Ivy is prepared to go to prison over the row, adding: “I’ve got a friend who works in a prison – she said, ‘They’re getting everything ready for you’. If a pensioner is on the breadline and they’re getting benefits they will get their TV licence for nothing. But pensioners who paid in that bit extra for when they did retire, we’re paying tax on our pensions and we’re getting nothing.
“Millionaires are getting tax rebates, support like that, and pensioners get sweet damn all.”
Ivy, from Greenock, west of Glasgow, received letters from as far afield as Australia after appearing on ITV’s This Morning. She said: “The postman called me ‘The Warrior’. People in Australia said, ‘What do you mean you have to pay to watch your television?’ I said, ‘No, it’s only the one station, the BBC, and it’s crap’.” public protests. Jan Shortt, of the National Pensioners Convention, said: “We believe there is a case for Government to take back responsibility and accountability for the free licence.
“There is also an argument for government and broadband providers to acknowledge that being digitally connected is financially not an option for older people, and begin working to alleviate digital poverty.”
Critics say the “bloated” BBC – with
attempting to fend off competition from disruptive new entrants such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, whose programmes tend to be more popular than the BBC’s with younger audience members.”
The foundation is an independent charity which says it lobbies for fairness between young and old. 35,402 staff – can make savings or find other ways of generating money.
Income in 2019/20 was £4.94billion, with 71% from licence fees. The remaining £1.42billion came from commercial and other activities.
Selling top shows like Planet Earth abroad brings in £200million a year.
TV Licensing, on behalf of the BBC, said: “Around 80% of over-75 households have transitioned to the new system, including those in receipt of Pension Credit eligible for a free licence funded by the BBC.
“We’re giving people time to get set up, the process is Covid-secure and we have measures to support people, including payment plans. We are not visiting households registered as having held a free over-75s licence.”