TV licence after a gap for someone over 75

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in Phones & TV
A relative was wrongly under the impression that they didn't need a licence as they are 81 and not receiving pension credit.
I want to buy a licence online for them but it is asking the date they started watching TV.
The actual question is "Has this person watched or recorded live TV on any channel, or watched or downloaded BBC programmes on BBC iPlayer, before today?"
Now they probably started watching TV in the 1960s to strictly answer the question. Assuming the meaning is how long have they watched without a licence it would be since they were 75. But some of that time it was free I understand, so how do I answer the question?
I want to buy a licence online for them but it is asking the date they started watching TV.
The actual question is "Has this person watched or recorded live TV on any channel, or watched or downloaded BBC programmes on BBC iPlayer, before today?"
Now they probably started watching TV in the 1960s to strictly answer the question. Assuming the meaning is how long have they watched without a licence it would be since they were 75. But some of that time it was free I understand, so how do I answer the question?
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Unless no Licence was ever held by this relative at the address. In which case TV Licensing would have sent generic 'No Licence at this address, why not?" letters. Which were ignored? If they had an over 75 Licence they should have been written to to advise of end of free licence and options for payment and ignored that?
TV Licensing can/will assume the same name at the same address taking out a (new) Licence and "short date the expiry" of it back to the expiry of an old one they can't backdate Licences (but effectively charge for the earlier use with a minimum of 4 months in the future on a new Licence it appears).... See https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/backdating_of_tv_licences_policy
NB That FOI exchange was almost 10 years ago and things may have changed a bit. Especially for those affected by the over 75's changes.
I can't answer your question, though. That will be for you to decide.
Or you could just go by that FOI, and make it 11 months, which is the maximum they would backdate a Licence to cover an unexplained gap in coverage.
And 'watched before today' well yes, I watched andy pandy 65 years ago....
You could try ringing them to ask what's best.
Or do what I would probably do and put today's date because the elderly may never have watched iPlayer.....Or was only using their ipad to view netflix. Or something else vaguely possible and at the same time not confusing to someone in a call centre.
2023 £1 a day £54.26/365
Please enter a date in the last 12 months.
You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time but you can never please all of the people all of the time