New calls to abolish £159 TV licence fee for every person in the UK
15.08.2023 - 09:27
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A new online petition is urging the UK Government to “abolish” TV licence fees for everyone, calling it an “outdated and unwanted system”. Petition creator Christian James Riley-Rowlands also warned that the £159 annual fee, which can be paid in several different ways, “can put people into debt”.
The ‘Abolish TV Licence Fees For Everyone’ petition is hosted on the official petitions-parliament website where it will receive an official response from the UK Government if it receives 10,000 signatures. At 100,000, it would be considered for debate by MPs in Parliament.
The TV licence is set to rise in line with the rate of inflation from April 2024, following a two-year freeze at £159. However, according to a report earlier this year in the Daily Telegraph, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is forecasting that the inflation figure used will be 8.2 per cent, which would see the annual TV licence fee increase by £13 to £172.
The OBR also predicted that this will take the revenue received by the BBC from the TV licence fee from £3.7billion in 2023 to £4billion in 2024.
The petition states: “We want the Government to abolish TV Licence fees for everyone. We believe this is an outdated and unwanted system that can put people into debt.”
You can view the petition online here.
You can check if you need a TV licence on the TV Licensing website here.
A TV licence costs £159. You can pay it all in one go, or:
Certain groups are entitled to TV licence discounts such as those who live in care homes, who could get it for free or pay as little as £7.50 if they are part of an Accommodation for Residential Care scheme.
People who are registered blind are entitled to a half price TV Licence (£79.50) and may be eligible for a refund on