BBC urged to pressure Ministers on over-75s TV licence

BBC BOSSES have been urged to be “brave” and tell the Government to take back responsibility for giving the over-75s free television licences.

The Government-funded scheme which provides free TV licences to the elderly ends in June 2020. The BBC has to decide whether to continue the benefit but has said that shouldering the cost would “fundamentally change” the broadcaster.

Prime Minister Theresa May last week pressed the BBC to fund the scheme, amid calls for the Government to retake responsibility. Now charity Age UK, campaigning organisation the National Pensioners Convention and the National Union of Journalists have written a joint letter to Sir David Clementi, chair of the BBC board, on the issue.

They said the BBC must tell the Government to take back responsibility for the benefit, which is expected to cost £1bn a year in a decade’s time. The letter says that a third of over-75s are living in poverty or just above the poverty line and that the TV is “vital companionship and entertainment”.

The corporation is taking over the cost from the Government as part of its charter renewal negotiations. The letter states: “The BBC leadership must be brave.

“It needs to forget about making the best out of implementing the deal done in 2015.

“It must say that ending free licences for the over-75s is wrongheaded and divisive, acknowledge that funding this welfare benefit would trigger an end to our public service broadcaster as we know it, and say it must now be down to government to take back responsibility for this benefit.”

A BBC spokesman said: “The views of these groups are well known and, as we’ve said before, free TV licences for people over 75 are expected to cost £745m a year by 2021/22, and Government funding for the scheme ends in June 2020. We will carefully consider all the responses and the BBC expects to make a decision by June this year.”