The TV licence fee is increasing from April this year

TV licence fees are set to increase from April 1st to £159.

The increase is set to be smaller than that of last year where the licence fee increased from £154.50 to £157.50.

The cost of the licence is set by the government, rising in line with inflation each year. 

It comes after 750,000 pensioners reportedly abstained from paying their licence fees in protest of the BBC removing the free service for over-75s. 

In 2015, the government shifted the TV licence responsibility over to the BBC. The broadcaster then removed the blanket fee in a bid to plug the funding hole.

BBC Chairman, Sir David Clementi previously stated that it was ‘untenable’ to continue funding the free licences which would take up a fifth of the company’s spend on services at £745 million a year. 

Anyone caught not paying their TV licence could be forced to pay a maximum penalty of £1,000 and may face three to six months of jail-time.

While not paying a TV licence can’t directly land you in prison, refusing to pay court fines can.

Dennis Reed from campaign group Silver Voices claimed that a ‘hard core’ group of pensioners are now resisting paying their fees in protest. 

He said that over-75’s have been ‘flooded’ with reminder letters, saying: “Some had three or four letters in the last couple of weeks reminding them their licences would be cancelled. They are desperate to get people to pay.”

The BBC denied that 750,000 pensioners were refusing to pay licence fees and said they do not send more than two reminder letters.

Adding: “Around 80% of over-75 households have now transitioned to the new system, including those in receipt of Pension Credit who are eligible for a free licence funded by the BBC.

“We continue to process applications, we’re giving people plenty of time to get set-up, the process is Covid-secure and we have a range of measures to support people, including payment plans.”