Pensioners ‘threatened’ with fines after BBC scraps TV licence discount

Pensioners living in a Northampton retirement village have been hit with a £167 increase to their TV licence bills after the BBC ruled they were no longer eligible for a care home discount.

Residents at St Crispin Retirement Village, who had been paying a reduced £7.50 annual fee under the Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) concession, were told they must now pay the full £174.50 or risk enforcement action and fines of up to £1,000.

The decision follows a review by TV Licensing, which said the retirement village no longer meets the criteria for the discounted scheme.

The change was triggered by the conversion of a former storage room into a guest suite for visitors, which TV Licensing claimed breached the rules set by the Government.

Nearly 100 residents received official letters informing them of the change, sparking confusion and distress. Some elderly residents say they felt pressured into paying the full amount out of fear of fines or visits from enforcement officers.

Stan Fitton, 83, said the letters had frightened many of his neighbours, some of whom are in their 90s and living with dementia.

He told The Telegraph: "If you’re a 90-year-old widow and you get a letter saying someone’s going to come knocking unless you pay, it’s terrifying. It’s completely outrageous."

Another resident, Lesley, who is in her 80s, described the tone of the letters as aggressive and upsetting.

She said: "I’ve received four or five now. They’re rude and threatening. I’m still relatively active, but a lot of people here rely on their TV as their main form of company. They’ve paid the full fee just to avoid the stress, even though they’re on tight budgets."

Under the current rules, pensioners over 60 can qualify for a heavily discounted TV licence if they live in eligible supported housing or care homes. Those aged 75 or over who receive pension credit are exempt from paying the fee altogether.

The BBC has stepped up enforcement efforts in recent months in response to falling licence fee revenues. Earlier this month, the fee increased from £169.50 to £174.50 in line with inflation.

The broadcaster also reported an £80 million drop in income from the licence fee over the past year.

Figures revealed earlier this year showed TV Licensing sent more than 41 million letters to households in 2023–24 — a 13 per cent increase on the previous year — urging people to pay.

A spokesman for TV Licensing said: "The eligibility criteria for the ARC concession is set out in regulations determined by the Government.

"In the case of St Crispin Retirement Village, their previous application did not meet the criteria, and we’re liaising with the managers to help resolve this issue.

“In the meantime, we’ve paused sending letters to the affected addresses.”