TV Licence article Discussion

Cinders2001

The actual licence has my husbands name at the top.
We live in the same house (obviously!).

Does this still count as MY licence?

cw18

Yes, as long as it's for the household that's registered as your main address (on bank accounts / driving licence / medical records etc).

cw18

Someone on another forum I'm a member of mentioned she's just listened to a phone in about the licence fee debate, given the charter is due for renewal next year.

I did some internet digging to see what I could find, and came up with this from the Independant

I was horrified to read this part

In a speech to staff at Broadcasting House, Lord Hall is expected to indicate the Corporation’s backing for a broadcasting levy that would apply to every household, regardless of whether they have a television.


Last week the parliamentary Culture, Media and Sport Committee said the £145.50 annual licence fee should ultimately be replaced by a German-style “broadcasting levy” that would apply to every household. The change would allow the BBC to collect funds from the estimated 500,000 households which claim not to have a television or only watch programmes on-demand through platforms like the BBC iPlayer.

which means every household would end up paying what is effectively a non-means tested taxation


and this

The system, introduced in Germany in 2013, would do away with the need to detect and prosecute those who avoid buying a TV licence. It is estimated that licence-fee collection costs £120m, with the BBC losing £250m to those who evade paying the charge. The German charge was set at €215 (£156) to pay for public service channels and is collected in monthly instalments.

Which implies (to me anyway) that despite them collecting from more households, there's a chance the cost will actually be higher than the current licence fee :eek:


I was, however, quite relieved to see this

However MPs believe the earliest that a levy could be introduced in the UK would be 2026

as it gives me another 11 years before I have to find the money



Whilst I accept it means people can't claim to not need and carry on watching, it totally penalises people like me who are LLF. I don't even use catch-up very often (maybe a dozen times in the 4.5 years since I gave up my licence, but I wasn't really bothered about any of the things I watched and really only did so as there was a lot of talk/debate about them) and would happily surrender my right to do that if it meant I could continue to pay nothing.

Cornucopia

For a variety of reasons, I can't see a German-style levy coming to the UK.

When you start looking into it, the German approach is the worst possible scenario, and actually takes us backwards in various ways from where we are now. The news that there are now (at least) 1.6m legally licence free households makes it very difficult to justify demanding that they all start paying. More people are voting with their viewing habits away from supporting the BBC than voted for the Green party in the Election).

I'm sure the Government won't give us the simplest and most flexible approach, which is to move the BBC from the Licence Fee to Subscription. (Mainly because Governments seem to be contrary, like that).

But they will want a solution that supports the continued development of a diverse, successful UK media industry. Many backbenchers will also want to see an end to the draconian approach of TV Licensing, as well as protection for the free over-75 Licence.

Part of the problem is that the BBC is a mess of its own creation (helped by the indifference of previous Governments), and it will require substantial effort to sort it out.

We'll know when they have the right solution, because no one will be happy with it.

bill1944uk

I would like to tell people that live in housing association accomodation and are over 50 they may get a rebate from the TV Licence. I moved into a housing association property which was sheltered and now I only pay £7.40 a year. I paid this and about 3 months later I got a rebate check from TV Licencing. If you ask your Housing Assc they will let you know if you qualify

Sunny67

Hello,
Is it also valid to watch recorded sky programmes and not require a tv licence?

Thank you

[Deleted User]

I live in my own home, and I pay £0-00.

w50nky

Just for my sanity, and so my wife can see it in black and white (no pun intended)! We take our hard drive recorder away with us to our second home and watch programmes we have recorded at home. We have a TV licence for this address of course.
So do we need a TV licence to watch these prerecord end programs in our second home?
No aerial connection for live broadcasts.

cw18

bill1944uk wrote: »

I would like to tell people that live in housing association accomodation and are over 50 they may get a rebate from the TV Licence. I moved into a housing association property which was sheltered and now I only pay £7.40 a year. I paid this and about 3 months later I got a rebate check from TV Licencing. If you ask your Housing Assc they will let you know if you qualify

it's only sheltered housing, not Housing Association in general, that sometimes qualify for a reduced rate

cw18

Sunny67 wrote: »

Hello,
Is it also valid to watch recorded sky programmes and not require a tv licence?

Thank you

You need a licence to RECORD the show