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Free TV licence scrapped for (most) over 75-s

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ainsworth74

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Is it not the case that many years ago, a considerable number of married women who were in employment at that time only paid an employees lower state pension contribution rate applicable to their marital status and many of these women only now receive a lower rate of state pension, not haven taken the opportunity in later life to pay extra contributions to bring their state pension rate to par?

I think the most common situation I come across amongst women of a certain age is that they worked from around 16 to their mid-20s, then raised a family for 20 odd years before finally maybe doing a bit more work from their mid/late 40s through to retirement age at 60. Often the later jobs might be part time not full time and/or not permanent posts so ended up with periods of unemployment as well. All of which added up to not having a full contribution record so missing out on a full state pension.

Those women (along with those in your situation) if they are single for whatever reason are well advised to claim Pension Credit which will immediately provide them an income of £167.25 per week no matter what their State Pension actually is (along side no longer having to pay Council Tax, potential not having to pay rent anymore, as well as for over-75s getting a free TV licence).
 
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gswindale

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Possible complication: income related benefits are paid to individuals, TV licence applies to a household. I would want to avoid a situation where a household gets a free licence although the parents are both higher rate tax payers but their layabout son is on Jobseekers, if for no other reason than the right wing tabloids would have a field day.
I'm not sure how different that is to the current situation.

Family brings their aging mother to live with them and the house now qualifies for a free TV licence. Is that fair?
 

Typhoon

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I'm not sure how different that is to the current situation.

Family brings their aging mother to live with them and the house now qualifies for a free TV licence. Is that fair?
Simple answer: It isn't (with one proviso). Especially as 'family' may well include two other generations, each with a television in their own room. The case when it could be justified is where the aging mother (or indeed father) is being cared for by the family rather than living independently in a granny flat. Carers get very few perks.

One group that I think ought to qualify for free TV Licences is certain groups of people with mental disabilities, as they can get a stimulus from watching television. The problem is that to give free licences to some viewers means that other viewers are effectively paying for them.
 

R G NOW.

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The thing I really don't get with the BBC is why we need to pay Gary Lineker so much.

I wonder how much money he made from those walkers chrisp adverts?. He probably has more than enough anyway. I could put some of it to use. 1. Get out of this damp and musty rented house for a start.
 

R G NOW.

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Why were they brought in, whose idea was it to make licenses free to over 75's. My mother is 80 and she is always in front of the telly.
 

Typhoon

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That's not a problem, it's how a civilised society works.
'Problem' is probably not the best word but there does seem to be a resentment amongst some viewers to pay the licence at all - the idea that they would be paying towards that of Mrs Miggins who they know watches the news on BBC irritates them because they binge watch The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, The Only Way is Mykonos, Rich Kids of Atlantic City and repeats of Jerry Springer so don't get their money's worth from the BBC.
 

R G NOW.

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'Problem' is probably not the best word but there does seem to be a resentment amongst some viewers to pay the licence at all - the idea that they would be paying towards that of Mrs Miggins who they know watches the news on BBC irritates them because they binge watch The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, The Only Way is Mykonos, Rich Kids of Atlantic City and repeats of Jerry Springer so don't get their money's worth from the BBC.

There's also EastEnders.

Although this thread is about tv licenses. I wish to ask. Did first great western have a tv license for the tv's in the entertainment coaches on the HST.S. I wonder because when it changed to GWR They disappeared.
I used to like sitting in front of a telly watching something, while on the way to Swindon.
 

WelshBluebird

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There's also EastEnders.

Although this thread is about tv licenses. I wish to ask. Did first great western have a tv license for the tv's in the entertainment coaches on the HST.S. I wonder because when it changed to GWR They disappeared.
I used to like sitting in front of a telly watching something, while on the way to Swindon.

They weren't live broadcasts though were they? I thought they just basically showed video that was stored on a hard drive somewhere!
In which case no licence was needed.
 

HSTEd

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TV Licences should be abolished and the BBC should be made a precepting authority on council tax. That would save a hundred million pounds a year on the separate collection infrastructure and allow things like Council Tax Benefit (or the replacement under Universal Credit) to protect people in need of protection.

The number of people who consume no BBC content is negligible, so why should BBC website viewers or radio listeners be paid for by TV watchers?
 

ainsworth74

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That would save a hundred million pounds a year on the separate collection infrastructure and allow things like Council Tax Benefit (or the replacement under Universal Credit) to protect people in need of protection.

Council Tax Benefit has not existed since April 2013 and was replaced by localised schemes developed and administered by Local Authorities (being called usually either Council Tax Reduction or Support depending on the preference of the Local Authority). Local Authorities in England had discretion on what level to set their support at for working age people (pensioners were protected and whilst they also claim via their Local Authority for support the rules are determined by Government). Initially most went with the Government designed "default scheme" but overtime they've all started to do their own thing tweaking eligibility, means tests and rates of discount (80% maximum discount initially but now varying between around 70% and 85% depending on the generosity of your Local Authority).

Council Tax Reduction/Support is not being rolled into Universal Credit and will continue to be separately administered by Local Authorities.
 

HSTEd

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The BBC has nothing to do with local Government. If it's going on general taxation (which to be honest I would support), income tax is the place for it.

Council Tax is the closest fit amongst existing taxes to the licence fee.
It is charged on a per household basis, just like the licence fee.

Putting it on income tax breaks the link and is a total reimagining of the way the licence fee functions, which will lead to all sorts of political debates.
Also trying to put a hypothecated tax on income tax is just going to make it even more complicated and hard to understand.
 

R G NOW.

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Right That's It, I feel the only way is for the BBC to start putting adverts at the start and end of it's I-player and online tv services, as youtube do.
 

Tetchytyke

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I don't think the BBC should be tax funded. It should be a subscription service. Like it? Pay for it. Don't like it? Don't. It's how every other communications business operates.

You don't get Sky for free because you're a pensioner.
 

big all

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haven't read any off this thread because i am sure it will have a lot off "divisive" comments over what in fact is 43p a day or £2.97 a week??

there is so much happening in local society that is wrong and worth peoples time and effort to sort rather than arguing over a few pence :D
 

Darandio

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From https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/pay-for-your-tv-licence/ways-to-pay/payment-card you can pay weekly, though as it mentions a figure twice as high as previously quoted then it looks like there's somewhat of a premium on it.

Its an archaic and stupid scheme. If you want to buy a licence then no matter how you pay, you pay for the whole year in 6 months. You then pay for the following year over the next 12 months, so after 18 months you have paid for two years. Miss a few payments on the card scheme and they happily take you off it and demand a full years payment for something you haven't used yet.

It needs modernising to reflect the habits of today. Not everyone wants a TV licence for a year, some only want it for a month during an event such as the World Cup. Some only want it for a couple of weeks over Christmas. Some don't need one at all but receive regular correspondence that gets increasingly threatening and makes an assumption that you are a criminal just because you haven't got a licence.

You should be able to effectively pay-as-you-go. Want a month? Then allow them to pay for month and not be tied down to a scheme that wants you to pay for a year.
 

al78

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There's adverts on YouTube?

Yes, and as on commercial TV and radio, the advert breaks are getting longer, and longer, and longer over time. Heart FM is one of the worst for this. We don't need any more adverts rammed down our throats.
 

big all

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Can the TV licence be paid for on the daily or weekly time periods mentioned above? I am sure the TV licence is payable in other time scales.
i pay mine monthly just under £13
would pay in fewer instalments if a discount was offered but better the money in my account getting interest than theres
 

Dent

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haven't read any off this thread because i am sure it will have a lot off "divisive" comments over what in fact is 43p a day or £2.97 a week??

there is so much happening in local society that is wrong and worth peoples time and effort to sort rather than arguing over a few pence :D

By what definition is £154.50 "a few pence"? Quoting the amount as something per day or per week when it is actually paid per year is highly misleading.
 

big all

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By what definition is £154.50 "a few pence"? Quoting the amount as something per day or per week when it is actually paid per year is highly misleading.
i am not sure off the point you are actually making ??
i in general have been neutral with my comment trying to inform in a fairly factual basis to allow others to form there own opinion

in general cost off services will be taken as a say a 12th or a 4th off annual costs or what ever the company or institution choose

then dependent on you pay method and paydays connected to available payment options will decide how you pay
if you are short off money you will pay the smallest amount but frequently
if you have finances that allow a bit off freedom you may choose to pay at a less frequent interval then thats your choice but few will choose to pay a years worth at one go ;);)
 

Lucan

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[There are adverts on Youtube] and as on commercial TV and radio, the advert breaks are getting longer, and longer, and longer over time.
It used to be that you might get an ad before the video began, and you could hit a "Skip Ad" button after about 5 seconds. Now you also get them at entirely random points during the video, and these do not have a "Skip" option. Then for the first time ever yesterday I got two ads back-to-back in the middle of a video. I stopped watching then.
 
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