Bizarre debt loophole

josephine1_2

If you owe money for a tv license before br, you still owe it after BR, I've just been told it's exempt just thought I'd warn people

beentheredonethatstilhere

Hmm! didn't know that one but it makes some sense I suppose.

Who told you it was exempt by the way?

Holes_in_my_pocket

tv license is paid in advance so a bill and not a debt

josephine1_2

The OR admin person told me, holes .... explains it properly

Merlinexcalibur

Curiouser and curiouser. Is a TV Licence the ONLY thing not allowed into a BR? Excuse my cynicalism but the government likes to milk us all eg we are 'cash cows' it seems even when gone BR. Then I am also forgetting that not having a TV Licence (whilst foreign countries can view BBC programmes for free) in the UK is a heinous crime and being beaten with sticks or worse follows if you don't pay for one. Still trying to wrap my head around how such a thing could be a criminal offense as we pay for our TVs to watch in our own homes and not actually having one (or needing one) isn't exactly going to start a world war off.

JCS1

CSA, Student Loans and Court Fines aren't allowable into BR either.

Merlinexcalibur

Well, SLC loans are okay? As you get them deferred (if you have been, that is, because reading a lot on MSE many don't for some reason then face DCAs later) annually. If you see what I mean.

It was more surprise that TV licence arrears couldn't be included.

fatou256

this is from the insolvency websites


40.22B Television licence fee Part 4 of the Communications Act 2003 makes it an offence to install or use a television receiver without a valid TV Licence. The Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 set out the various types of TV Licence available, the fees payable and any concessions available, further details of which are available from www.tvlicensing.co.uk. An individual may either elect to pay the annual licence fee in a single payment or to pay by instalments. In all cases, the payment is made in advance for the period to be covered by the licence. If an individual is on a monthly or quarterly payment plan and he/she misses an instalment (or falls into arrears) then the licence may be revoked or cancelled.
The individual will then be committing a criminal offence, liable to a fine or imprisonment, if they continue to use the television receiver equipment after the date that payments cease URL="http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/freedomofinformation/technical/TechnicalManual/Ch37-48/chapter40/part1/Notes/Notes.htm#34"]Note 34[/URL. In order for an individual to avoid prosecution, the TV Licensing Authority will allow a defaulter time to bring their payments up-to-date, whilst ensuring they are aware of the consequences of not doing so.
Outstanding sums due to the TV Licensing Authority at the insolvency order date do not constitute a provable debt, as they are comprised of a statutory fee required to be paid in advance by a person to install or use a television receiver.

http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/freedomofinformation/technical/TechnicalManual/Ch37-48/chapter40/part1/part1.htm

Merlinexcalibur

Outstanding sums due to the TV Licensing Authority at the insolvency order date do not constitute a provable debt, as they are comprised of a statutory fee required to be paid in advance by a person to install or use a television receiver.

Interesting and I am not arguing with anyone BTW but I do probe things a lot. But what, then, when someone is in arrears eg how can that not be a proveable debt? TV Licencing is very quick off the mark with issuing reminders ... eg 'proof?' So TBH, I don't really understand how they can say it's not proveable given if you ARE in arrears the paperwork states otherwise. Okay, I'll give up trying to understand that for today. It's a very archaic system and I hear people on public transport regularly talking about the police being involved and coming to their door even though they don't have a TV in their house yet TV Licencing thinks otherwise. And I think it's a total overreaction to things. It's a TV Licence for example not something that can cause global terrorism but people are treated as if they have because of not being able to afford one or have one or even need one. I shall go away now.

fatou256

sorry merlin i didnt mean to argue either i only put what i found on the insolvency website me too iam quite interested by all this ! but as usual TVL are a law onto themselves !

shadowdragon

Merlinexcalibur wrote: »

Well, SLC loans are okay? As you get them deferred (if you have been, that is, because reading a lot on MSE many don't for some reason then face DCAs later) annually. If you see what I mean.

It was more surprise that TV licence arrears couldn't be included.

It maybe that if you dont pay for yur TV Licence they automatically start court proceedings in your absence, guy accross the road had a visit from the TV licence person who got him to sign a form, he ended up with a court fine for it (but didnt get chance to goto court or anything like that).