If I were a pensioner, I’d be a bit miffed by the BBC’s decision to end the policy of giving free TV licences to the over-75s. At present, the cost is met by the government, but it was due to be picked up by the BBC from 1 June 2020. At least, that’s what I thought — and I had good reason. According to a report on the BBC News website dated 6 July 2015, the Beeb would ‘cover the cost of providing free television licences for over-75s’ and ‘in return… the licence fee will rise with inflation’. The story referred to this as a ‘deal’ made with the government in the run-up to the renewal of the BBC charter in 2017.
But on Monday the BBC announced that it wouldn’t be paying for this after all, even though the licence fee went up in line with inflation in 2017 for the first time since 2010, then again in 2018, and again this year. As of next year, the BBC will provide free TV licences only to those over-75s who receive the pension credit — about 1.5 million people, or just over a quarter of the total.
Explaining this flip-flop, the BBC chairman Sir David Clementi said: ‘Copying the current scheme was ultimately untenable. It would have cost £745 million a year by 2021/22 — and risen to more than one billion by the end of the next decade.’ The BBC press release announcing the decision said that if it were to pick up the cost of the current scheme in full it would mean the closure of BBC2, BBC4, the BBC News Channel, the BBC Scotland TV channel, Radio 5 Live and a number of local radio stations.
Some might see that as a bargain, but the odd thing about this rationale is that Tony Hall, the director-general, boasted in 2015 about what a good deal he’d negotiated on the state broadcaster’s behalf — and that included the commitment to providing free TV licences to everyone over 75.
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in