TV licence cost is robbing our elderly of a lifeline
Free TV licences for the over-75s are coming to an end. Booklets and payment forms have arrived in the mail urging the elderly to cough up their cash. The scheme has been delayed but it is now back on the table and the pandemic is still very much here. This cruel collection method comes at a time when some of our most vulnerable people are already being impacted by lockdown. Our elderly population are at a higher risk, with many not daring to step past the front door in months.
Now the BBC is dead set on taking away their only form of entertainment, company and life-saving news updates. We are all under severe financial pressure thanks to coronavirus, especially small businesses. But the BBC is hardly a small business with Gary Lineker taking home £1.75m every year.
I often take it for granted how easily I can switch on my PlayStation 4 to play online with friends, hop on to Discord to play with my Dungeons and Dragons group or join an Instagram live video feed.
For many, television is more than a piece of furniture in the home, it is a lifeline and for our seniors, the plug is about to be pulled!
Some over-75s can still apply for a free TV licence if they receive pension credit. But only two fifths of people are entitled to this benefit. About 1.2m do not have it as they do not know they can claim, struggle to apply or are unable to utilise this scheme without help.
Others are coping with the cost of a disability or poor health. Many are barely getting by. What will they have to sacrifice to pay their licence fee? Heating? Food?
We will see a lot of people cutting back on essentials to make ends meet. We will see a lot more people becoming isolated and alone without access to their TV.
With a high rise in TV licence scam emails of malicious, mocked-up government websites, that deliberately target the elderly, by demanding they renew their licence immediately or face a fine, can only add to their trauma.
The BBC has done this just in time for the coming winter. It is estimated 30,000 older British people freeze to death each year. It is sadly inevitable we may yet see more with this increased cost of living.