Currently priced at an annual fee of £159, all households in the UK that watch live TV must own a TV licence to do so. However, hundreds of thousands of Britons could be eligible for a discount without knowing, and some can even get theirs for free.
While living costs remain high, households have been feeling the financial pinch. As many have been searching for ways to cut costs, Britons are being urged to check if they’re entitled to any additional support.
One bill people often forget to consider is the TV licence, but correctly claiming could lift a sizeable weight off of a household’s monthly or annual outgoings.
Who is entitled to a TV licence discount?
There are a few groups that could be eligible for a TV licence discount, and these include people who are severely blind, people over 75 years old that receive Pension Credit, and those residing in care homes.
Which group criteria a person meets will determine how much discount they will be able to claim.
Who is entitled to a 50 percent discount?
People who are blind (severely sight impaired), or live with someone who is blind, could be eligible for a blind concession TV licence. However, those who are partially sight impaired will not qualify for the discount.
This would reduce the annual fee from £159 to £79.50 for a colour TV licence and £26.75 for a black and white TV licence.
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The Royal National Institute of Blind People charity records that there are currently 340,000 people registered as blind in the UK, making it crucial that such a large group are aware that such a significant discount is available.
In order to claim the concession licence, people must provide at least one of the following documents to confirm they are certified as blind:
- A CVI (Certificate of Visual Impairment)
- A BD8 certificate
- A certificate or document issued by a local authority that shows they are registered as blind (severely sight impaired)
- A copy of a certificate from an ophthalmologist (eye surgeon), stating that they are blind (severely sight impaired).
People who live with someone who is blind and already has a TV licence will have to transfer the licence into the name of the person who is blind in order to claim.
According to the website, people can do this by making a first-time blind application by entering the existing TV Licence number for the address into the form.
Who is entitled to a free TV licence?
People can get a free TV licence if they, as the licence holder, are 75 years or older and they, or their partner living at the same address, receive Pension Credit.
Pension Credit is a benefit that tops up the state pension for people on a low income, however, it currently has the lowest take-up of all income-related benefits, according to the charity Independent Age.
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So, it could be a good time for people to check if they’re eligible for this, as it can also help people claim other support for other things such as Housing Benefit, heating bills, council tax, NHS dental care, and more.
People who are 75 or over and live in a residential care home may be covered by an ARC (Accommodation for Residential Care) TV licence and also won’t have to pay for a licence – even if they don’t receive Pension Credit.
TV Licencing advises people to speak to their care home administrator to find out.
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