BBC Operates Unofficial ‘Amnesty’ for Over-75s Who Refuse to Pay TV Licence Fee
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The BBC is operating an unofficial “amnesty” for pensioners over the age of 75 who refuse to pay the TV licence fee, according to a report. The corporation has not prosecuted anyone over 75 for not paying the £174.50 annual charge since the universal free licence for over-75s was scrapped in 2020.
Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request from the Ministry of Justice show that only two cases of over-75s being prosecuted for licence fee evasion have been recorded between 2020 and 2024. One person was prosecuted aged 76 last year, and a 77-year-old man was prosecuted in 2023. However, it is unclear if the offences were committed when the individuals were under 75.
According to The i Paper, the BBC has been sending letters to pensioners, including those as old as 100, threatening them with prosecution for failing to pay their TV licence fee, despite having no intention of taking legal action. Campaigners have described this as a “scandal” and a “waste of public resources”.
A BBC insider told The i Paper that the corporation had initially avoided sending legal letters to over-75s to avoid antagonising pensioners, and that the process of prosecution had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The insider stated, “Now, not enforcing payment has become an unofficial policy. But the BBC can’t admit that because it would give the green light to widespread non-payment. If every over 75 stopped paying, that would blow a £500m black hole in the BBC’s income.”
Elderly people sent ‘threatening’ letters
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Elderly pensioners who have received warnings from TV Licensing include Aileen Boor, from Stockport, who was sent letters threatening action for four years up to her death at the age of 100 last year. Her daughter said Mrs Boor had “picked out her outfit” she planned to wear in court.
Silver Voices, a non-profit campaign group for the over-60s, has called on the BBC to come clean over its unofficial “amnesty” and stop sending letters threatening legal action that it has no intention of following through. The group’s director, Dennis Reed, said, “This is a shocking policy and a financial scandal. Not one over-75, of the several million who previously received a free licence, has been prosecuted for non-payment since the policy was scrapped five years ago.”
Reed added that his organisation estimated that at least 250,000 over-75s have been refusing to pay since 2020, costing the BBC more than £40m a year. Silver Voices said it was aware of cases where more than 50 “threatening and intimidating letters” demanding payment had been sent to individuals over the last five years.
BBC: ‘Prosecution is last resort’
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The BBC has said more than 3.6 million households where one person is over 75 have transitioned to paying for their licence since 2020. The corporation is subsidising 800,000 free licences for people over 75 who claim pension credit, plus an additional 190,000 for people in care homes.
A TV Licensing spokesperson, also speaking for the BBC, said, “Our primary aim is to support customers, particularly those with vulnerabilities, and to help them get and stay licensed. When there is evidence that someone has avoided paying for a TV licence when they need one, we have a duty to enforce the law and this applies to everyone. In all cases, prosecution is a last resort.”
The BBC added that evasion “remains relatively low” across all age groups, with the overwhelming majority – “around nine in 10 households” – paying the licence fee. The corporation does not collect “comprehensive data on the age of TV licence holders and in some cases, visits are made, and letters are sent, to addresses where we do not have a named occupier on our records”.
Ministers are discussing decriminalising non-payment of the licence fee amid concern over the cost of prosecutions to taxpayers. The BBC disclosed last year that it spent £169m on a five-year contract with Whistl and Royal Mail to deliver letters to those suspected of not paying their TV licence.
In April, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy warned that the charge was becoming “unenforceable” with “fewer people paying it”. She said “women – particularly vulnerable women” were being “targeted for enforcement action” with 73 per cent of those prosecuted in 2024 being female.
As reported by The i Paper, the issue has raised concerns about the fairness and effectiveness of the TV licence fee system, and the impact on vulnerable groups such as the elderly. The BBC’s unofficial “amnesty” for over-75s has been seen as a way to avoid controversy and public backlash, but critics argue that it is a “scandalous waste of public resources”.
The debate over the TV licence fee is ongoing, with some calling for its abolition or reform. As the BBC continues to grapple with the issue, it remains to be seen how the corporation will balance its need to fund its operations with the need to support vulnerable groups such as the elderly.
In related news, the BBC has announced plans to review its TV licence fee collection process, with a focus on improving fairness and reducing costs. The review is expected to consider alternative models for collecting the licence fee, including online payment systems and more flexible payment plans.
Source: The i Paper – Revealed: BBC amnesty over 75s who don’t pay TV licence fee (
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