State pensioners given £0 TV licence update – July deadline | Personal Finance | Finance

State pensioners hoping to get a free TV licence have been given an update. A petition has been set up for the Labour Government to grant all state pension claimants a free BBC TV licence, which gives legal permission to watch or record television on any channel or device.

It has been confirmed that the petition, which was launched by Michael Thompson earlier this year, has a deadline of Tuesday, July 21. It currently has just over 27,000 signatures, but requires 100,000 to spark a Government debate. This means the petition must secure a further 73,000 signatures within around seven weeks to be considered for a parliamentary debate. However, the Government issued a response to the petition on Monday (June 1), explaining that there are options available for state pensioners.

The Department for Culture, Media & Sport said: “There are a number of TV licence concessions available, including for over-75s in receipt of pension credit. There is no BBC concession to provide free TV licences for all pensioners at this time.”

A standard UK TV licence currently costs £180 per year for a colour TV, or £60.50 for a black and white set. It is free if you are 75 or over and receive pension credit, while those who are legally blind get 50% off.

Likewise, care homes and sheltered accommodation get £7.50 off their TV licence. The Government states that you are required by law to have a TV Licence if you watch or record live TV on any channel, or if you stream or download programmes on BBC iPlayer.

However, the petition has called on the Government to “fund free TV licences for existing pensioners and those who reach the official retirement age.” It added that many pensioners are currently struggling with rising costs elsewhere, including food and bills, so they should be provided with a free licence to watch TV.

The petition reads: “When people reach retirement age, we think they should receive a state-financed free TV licence. Many pensioners live on the breadline with only the TV for company. With the cost of food soaring and utility bills ever higher, we feel there is a desperate need to provide all pensioners with at least this concession.

“We feel it is a double outrage that those who have given their all to this country in taxes and raising children have to pay a TV licence fee and are only exempt if they receive means-tested Pension Credit. Meanwhile, some media figures draw huge salaries.”

It now has until July 21 to reach the 100,000-signature threshold for a debate in Parliament. While reaching this milestone means the Petitions Committee will consider scheduling a debate, it does not guarantee one, as the committee must decide if the issue is suitable.

The UK state pension age is currently 66 for both men and women. However, it is rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028 for those born on or after April 6, 1960.

The Department for Culture, Media & Sport said: “The Government believes that public service broadcasting, and the BBC in particular, are vital British assets that support our democracy, bring our communities together, and help to shape and define our nation through telling stories about the lives of people in all parts of the UK.

“TV Licence concessions are set out in legislation and are currently available to people who are registered blind or severely sight impaired, as well as to over-75s in receipt of pension credit, and people living in qualifying residential care who are disabled or over 60 years old. The Government is committed to the current licence fee and its available concessions for the remainder of this Charter period, until the end of 2027.

“While the Government strongly believes in public funding for the BBC given the public good it serves, we are aware of the financial difficulties faced by some households. For this reason, the Government announced a significant extension to the Simple Payment Plan (SPP) in 2024. This allows unlicensed households experiencing financial difficulty to split up the annual payment into more manageable fortnightly and monthly instalments. The BBC’s analysis suggests that the expansion could double the number of households using the SPP to around 500,000 by the end of 2027.

“More broadly, the Government is absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. That is why, through our commitment to protect the Triple Lock, over 12 million pensioners will benefit. From the end of this Parliament, spending on the State Pension as a result of our commitment to protect the Triple Lock is forecast to be over £30 billion more a year, compared with 2024/25. This will see pensioners’ yearly incomes rising by up to £2,100. The basic and new State Pensions increased by 4.8% in April, benefitting over 12 million pensioners by up to £575.

“Through the BBC Charter Review we are considering how we ensure the BBC is funded so that it can continue to deliver for all of us, drive the growth of the creative industries, nurture talent, and invest across the whole of the UK. The BBC’s own statistics show 94% of adults use the BBC each month yet fewer than 80% of households pay, contributing to an ongoing pressure on the BBC’s funding which includes the extent to which concessions are possible. The Government has been clear that any future funding model for the BBC should also be fair to audiences and ensure costs to households are kept as low as possible. The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of BBC funding and has not yet identified a preferred model.

“We are also keeping an open mind about new concessions and are considering a range of options to better account for different household situations. As set out in the Charter Review Green Paper, we do not plan to remove any existing concessions.

“We also do not plan to revisit the decision on over-75s licences as the BBC provides a concession for over-75s on pension credit which targets those most in need of support. It was estimated the cost of the TV licence concession for all over-75s could reach around £745 million per annum prior to its amendment in 2020.

“The Government’s public consultation on the Green Paper, which asked people from different communities to be part of the conversation on the future of the BBC, closed on 10 March 2026. The Government is now considering the responses to the public consultation. These will inform policy decisions for the next BBC Royal Charter which will be set out in a White Paper, expected to be published later this year.”