Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to ensure that people over the age of 75 who cannot afford to pay for a TV licence from June 2020 will be able (1) to access content, and (2) to be kept informed of current affairs, to support their continued democratic engagement.

The government recognises the importance of television to people of all ages, particularly for older people who value television as a source of entertainment, companionship and a way to stay connected with the world.

We are very disappointed with the BBC’s decision that only people who are aged 75 and above and in receipt of pension credit will continue to receive a free television licence from June 2020. The Secretary of State has met with the Chairman of the BBC Board and the Director-General of the BBC and asked them to do more to help the most vulnerable groups affected by the decision.

A TV licence is only required to watch or record live television programmes, or to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer. Therefore, those without a TV licence will still be able to access other BBC content via the BBC radio stations (including BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer Radio), and the BBC, BBC News and BBC Sport websites.

Further television programming can also be reached via other On-Demand and subscription television services, and current affairs content is available through news websites, newspapers, social media channels and apps, enabling continued democratic engagement. Online parliamentary petitions can be found here: https://petition.parliament.uk/.

More information about when a TV Licence is required can be found on the TV Licensing website here: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one