COMMENT

THE decision on TV licences for older people was an extremely difficult one for the BBC to have to make.

It was not one we could avoid once the Government decided to stop funding free TV licences for those over 75. It fell on the BBC to come up with and pay for a new scheme to support some of the most vulnerable older people.

That is just what we have done. From next month, any household with someone aged over 75 who receives pension credit will be entitled to a free TV licence, paid for by the BBC.

I believe this decision was the fairest in the BBC’s power to make. It’s fairest for older pensioners who are most in need of extra help. And it’s fairest for all licence fee payers, because it means everyone can continue to receive the best programmes and services the BBC can offer.

Some will feel we should do more. But this scheme will already

cost the BBC £250million a year. Trying to copy the Government’s previous scheme would have cost us around £750million a year, rising to £1billion by the end of the decade.

Such huge sums would inevitably have meant closures of many BBC services, including BBC Two, BBC Four, the BBC News Channel, the BBC Scotland channel, Radio 5 Live and a number of local radio stations, as well as other cuts and reductions. These closures would profoundly damage the BBC for everyone.

Some have suggested we could bridge the gap if we stopped employing our biggest stars. The trouble is, even if we employed no presenters paid more than £150,000, that would save us only £10million per year. The figures simply don’t add up.

The focus now must be on those most affected. Our priority is to make sure they are supported with care and dignity. Soon we will write to all over-75 licence holders to explain what happens next. Everyone will have time to transition to the new scheme.

Around 1.5 million people will be eligible for a free TV licence linked to pension credit. We have already received more than 450,000 applications.