The BBC is currently cracking down on households that have not paid for a TV Licence
The BBC is currently cracking down on households that have not paid for a TV Licence
The annual cost of a TV Licence will rise to £180 from April 1 2026. The fee pays for BBC shows and services, and its cost increases in line with inflation every year until 2027, following an agreement made back in 2022.
Most TV licences currently cost £174.50. It increased by £5 last year, and by £10.50 in 2024. The upcoming increase will provide the BBC with “stable financial footing” to deliver for audiences and support the wider creative industries.
The increase follows the methodology of calculating the licence fee in line with the consumer price index (CPI) until the end of the BBC Charter Period. This means the cost of an annual colour TV Licence will rise by £5.50, or the equivalent of an extra 46p a month
According to data, BBC is the UK’s number one media brand, with 94% of UK adults using the BBC each month last year. To help with the financial struggles being felt by households, the BBC will continue to support the Simple Payment Plan to spread payments through smaller instalments.
Any household that watches or records live TV on any channel or uses BBC iPlayer must have a TV Licence. If you wish to access BBC television and radio programmes on iPlayer an email address, date of birth and postcode must be provided.
TV Licensing said: “You could be prosecuted if we find that you have been watching, recording or downloading programmes illegally. The maximum penalty is a £1,000* fine plus any legal costs and/or compensation you may be ordered to pay.”
There are also concessions and other types of licences that people are eligible for. For example, if you’re aged 74 and over and you, or your partner living at the same address, receive Pension Credit, you could get a free licence.
If you live in a care home or sheltered accommodation, you may be able to pay a reduced fee and if you’re blind (severely sight impaired), you can apply to pay half of the licence fee. If you only watch on a black and white TV, the licence will be cheaper.
You can apply for a free licence online at www.tvlicensing.co.uk or apply by phone at 0300 790 6071. Most people spread the cost by paying by Direct Debit. Payments are made automatically so you don’t have to worry about remembering. Otherwise, you can make a one-off payment.
The BBC is reportedly cracking down on households that have not paid for a TV Licence. Up to 40 million online BBC accounts could be linked with home addresses for the first time to help find households accessing the streaming service without a licence.
PA reports that the BBC is understood to be working on ways to use this data to identify where TV Licences have not been purchased. The BBC has a duty to collect the licence fee, and sends targeted letters or emails to those it believes are not paying it and should be.
TV Licence detection vans are still in operation, and the TV Licensing website claims: “We have a fleet of detector vans that can detect the use of TV receiving equipment at specifically targeted addresses within minutes.”
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