Overpaid for years

brncttrll

Unknown to us (why would she tell us?) my Mother in Law has, it seems, paid her TV licence continually for years and years - certainly since before she was 75.  She's 96 now! On the MSE site it states that refunds can be claimed for every month paid since age 75 - so up to around £2500.  But when we contact the BBC reclaim number they state that refunds are only paid up to a maximum of three years back (one person even quoted only two) - coincidentally to exactly when the Pensioner Credit rule came in (she's not on it).  Can someone please clarify whether the refund further back is a legal entitlement or not?  Surely they know her address and TV Licence number and have a record of whether she paid or not?  Can the BBC just arbitrarily decide not to go further back in its investigations and refuse to pay?

Neil_Jones

brncttrll said:

Unknown to us (why would she tell us?) my Mother in Law has, it seems, paid her TV licence continually for years and years - certainly since before she was 75.  She's 96 now! On the MSE site it states that refunds can be claimed for every month paid since age 75 - so up to around £2500.  But when we contact the BBC reclaim number they state that refunds are only paid up to a maximum of three years back (one person even quoted only two) - coincidentally to exactly when the Pensioner Credit rule came in (she's not on it).  Can someone please clarify whether the refund further back is a legal entitlement or not?  Surely they know her address and TV Licence number and have a record of whether she paid or not?  Can the BBC just arbitrarily decide not to go further back in its investigations and refuse to pay?

Where does it say on here refund back to the age of 75?

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/broadband-and-tv/tv-licence/#75plus

Almost certainly no chance of 20 years worth of refund I would have thought.

mjm3346

I can see where they incorrectly got two years from

When can I claim a refund?

Your application must normally be submitted within two years of the expiry date of the licence that you wish to be refunded (or if you are claiming for more than one licence, within two years of the expiry date of the most recent licence). This does not apply to refunds for blind concession or free over 75 licences

https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/about/legislation-and-policy-AB9

mjm3346

Neil_Jones said:

brncttrll said:

Unknown to us (why would she tell us?) my Mother in Law has, it seems, paid her TV licence continually for years and years - certainly since before she was 75.  She's 96 now! On the MSE site it states that refunds can be claimed for every month paid since age 75 - so up to around £2500.  But when we contact the BBC reclaim number they state that refunds are only paid up to a maximum of three years back (one person even quoted only two) - coincidentally to exactly when the Pensioner Credit rule came in (she's not on it).  Can someone please clarify whether the refund further back is a legal entitlement or not?  Surely they know her address and TV Licence number and have a record of whether she paid or not?  Can the BBC just arbitrarily decide not to go further back in its investigations and refuse to pay?

Where does it say on here refund back to the age of 75?

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/broadband-and-tv/tv-licence/#75plus

Almost certainly no chance of 20 years worth of refund I would have thought.

You can reclaim for each month you paid for since turning 75 – so if you've overpaid for six months, you'll get half a year's licence fee back. 

You can reclaim as far back as 1 November 2000 – the date that free licences for over-75s were introduced. So theoretically, if you're in your early 90s and have been mistakenly paying for your licence for the past 18 years, you could be owed over £2,500.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2018/10/over-75s-claimed-back-p14m-in-tv-licence-refunds-last-year---see/

brncttrll

So either MSE is wrong or the BBC is pulling a fast one.  Can someone from MSE please check?

Keep_pedalling

From the above link.

3. TV Licence is bought in error

Refunds can be given in respect of licences which are bought as a result of an error by the customer, usually because the licence holder does not require the type of licence they have bought. For example, if they have bought a licence when there is already one in place at the address. In these circumstances, the customer can normally claim up to two years' worth of refund. If the licence was bought in error as a result of advice given by TV Licensing, the customer can claim up to six years' worth of refund.

6. Refunds in consequence of an over 75 TV Licence application

Refunds of complete months on a current licence will be payable automatically when an over 75 TV Licence is issued, backdated to the beginning of the licence or the first of the month of the 75th birthday, whichever is the later. However, no refund is payable on an over 75 TV Licence.

3. Would seem to apply to this situation as the wrong type of licence was purchased.

6. Refers to automatic refunds when you obtain an over 75 licence for the first time. So if you paid for a licence in Jan then applied for an over 75 licence on your birthday in July you would get 6 month refunded automatically. 

Cornucopia

The terms and conditions of Licences are determined by the BBC.   Most of the "rules" are not statutory, but have been devised by the BBC.   

All you can really do is escalate your claim for a refund up the escalation chain described on the complaints page of the TV Licensing website, and take the best offer they are prepared to make.