Television Licence: How many people have signed a petition to fund free TV licences for all pensioners?
A petition was started to urge the government to fund free TV licences for existing pensioners.
Launched in January this year by Michael Thompson, a petition was launched to urge the government to fund free TV licences for existing pensioners. The petition reads: “We want the Government to fund free TV licences for existing pensioners and those who reach the official retirement age.
“When people reach retirement age, we think they should receive a state-financed free TV licence.
“Many pensioners live on the breadline with only the TV for company. With the cost of food soaring and utility bills ever higher, we feel there is a desperate need to provide all pensioners with at least this concession.
“We feel it is a double outrage that those who have given their all to this country in taxes and raising children have to pay a TV licence fee and are only exempt if they receive means-tested Pension Credit. Meanwhile, some media figures draw huge salaries.”
At present, a standard TV licence costs £180 per year. According to the government’s website, “You may be able to get a free or discounted TV Licence if you’re 75 or over and get Pension Credit, or if you’re blind or in residential care.”
How many people have signed the petition to fund free TV licences for all pensioners?
At the time of writing, 42, 776 people have signed the petition.
Has the government responded?
On June 1, the government said: “There are a number of TV licence concessions available, including for over-75s in receipt of pension credit. There is no BBC concession to provide free TV licences for all pensioners at this time.”
It also said: “The Government believes that public service broadcasting, and the BBC in particular, are vital British assets that support our democracy, bring our communities together, and help to shape and define our nation through telling stories about the lives of people in all parts of the UK.
“TV Licence concessions are set out in legislation and are currently available to people who are registered blind or severely sight impaired, as well as to over-75s in receipt of pension credit, and people living in qualifying residential care who are disabled or over 60 years old. The Government is committed to the current licence fee and its available concessions for the remainder of this Charter period, until the end of 2027.”
The Department for Culture, Media & Sport also said: “We are also keeping an open mind about new concessions and are considering a range of options to better account for different household situations. As set out in the Charter Review Green Paper, we do not plan to remove any existing concessions.
“We also do not plan to revisit the decision on over-75s licences as the BBC provides a concession for over-75s on pension credit which targets those most in need of support. It was estimated the cost of the TV licence concession for all over-75s could reach around £745 million per annum prior to its amendment in 2020.
“The Government’s public consultation on the Green Paper, which asked people from different communities to be part of the conversation on the future of the BBC, closed on 10 March 2026. The Government is now considering the responses to the public consultation. These will inform policy decisions for the next BBC Royal Charter which will be set out in a White Paper, expected to be published later this year.”