no more free TV license for over 75,s

p00hsticks

atush wrote: »

Nonsense.

It cant stand or fall w/o income. It isnt allowed to sell advertising.

But it is allowed to sell DVDs, programs to companies abroad, etc - although the license fee is the main source of income, it does have significant income from other sources.

ewaste

Nobody is 'forced' to pay the TV Licence, if you have a TV and consume broadcast media you then pay a licence fee. It's like arguing people are 'forced' to pay road tax.

It shouldn't be something that's free for certain groups based on X,Y,Z all that accomplishes is to divide and conquer, mind you that's likely the intended purpose so I suppose it works as designed.

Don't get me wrong I'd still scrap it in the present form and implement a levy on media services e.g. subscriptions for everything from Netflix and Spotify etc (both of which I use) to help fund public broadcasting. Same goes for Mobile and Broadband services, mind you I'd renationalise Openreach as it's silly pretending the 'market' can deliver competition in fixed line infrastructure (also a BT shareholder).

bertiewhite

Such a good thread, you've made 2 on the same subject https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6011946/free-tv-license-scrapped-for-over-75-s

Mistermeaner

ewaste wrote: »

Nobody is 'forced' to pay the TV Licence, if you have a TV and consume broadcast media you then pay a licence fee. It's like arguing people are 'forced' to pay road tax.

I don;t think that is correct: If I want to watch just e.g. skysports and voluntarily pay for my sky subscription I am 'forced' to also pay the license fee (by law) to fund BBC content even though I don;t want it.

Yes you are also 'forced' to pay road tax' (vehicle excise duty) but only if you own a car... big difference between paying for something you use vs paying for something you don't. A better analogy would be someone who walks everywhere also being forced, by law, to pay vehicle excise duty

"But I don't have nor want a car... I'm OK to walk"

"I'm sorry but some people somewhere have decided that everyone should enjoy cars, cars are great and better than other forms of transport, its only fair everyone should pay so that those of us who enjoy cars can pay less"

GibbsRule_No3.

As someone approaching 65 I’m not sure why I can be seen to afford a TV licence between 65 and then suddenly at 75 not afford it. I agree that people on pension credit should get it for less, but maybe they should get it as soon as they need the pension credit. I would rather keep free bus pass and the heating allowance for all. Bus pass because it gets older people out and about and keeps them fitter in mind and body. Heating because their housing stock would suffer if they cannot keep the house warm.

lollynerd

FYI Gary Lineker is paid nearly £1.8m per annum by the BBC. This is for providing us with his marvellous wit and intelligent insight. Surely someone could do his job for a few hundred K?

brewerdave

GibbsRule_No3. wrote: »

As someone approaching 65 I’m not sure why I can be seen to afford a TV licence between 65 and then suddenly at 75 not afford it. I agree that people on pension credit should get it for less.

Quite agree with you for the future - but one of the (many) issues that will arise is that there are apparently many OAPs who would qualify for pension credit but are too proud (or confused) to go thru the rigmarole of applying for it.
Also since the cutoff for pension credit is quite low, there will be a significant number of OAPs who will now be expected to pay for a TV license, but the £3 per week will be quite a significant income decrease for them.Some of these people won't have paid for a license for maybe 10 or 15 years.

There will also be people living on their own in the early stages of dementia -can you imagine the Press storm when Crapita drag the first one to Court for non payment:eek:

atush

p00hsticks wrote: »

But it is allowed to sell DVDs, programs to companies abroad, etc - although the license fee is the main source of income, it does have significant income from other sources.

That is a small percentage of its income though. And the new paid for streaming service with ITV may not work

Zanderman

Why make a thread about this on the pensions board? Especially when you already have one on the Discussion broad (https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6011946/free-tv-license-scrapped-for-over-75-s).

It aint owt to do wiv pensions!

Browntoa

Closing as duplicate of a thread on the discussion forum