Call for BBC to fund free TV licences for over 75s

Monday 07 November 2016

A Jersey deputy is fighting to get the BBC to fund free TV licences for all Islanders over 75.

Deputy Montfort Tadier says under the current situation Islanders are being discriminated against, and he wants it changed. He also feels it’s putting an unfair burden on the States.

In the UK anyone over 75 is entitled to a free TV licence. The current cost of a colour TV licence is £145. In the past the cost of these ‘free’ licences was paid for by the government, an annual payout of around £608m. But it was agreed that starting in 2018, the BBC would now absorb the costs.

There’s a similar ‘free’ TV scheme in Jersey for the over 75s, although here, it’s means tested, and is funded by the taxpayer, rather than the BBC.

Currently there are 37,300 licences in Jersey, which nets the BBC £5.4m a year. Of those, 1,520 are ‘free’ over 75s licences, for which the States pay the BBC £220,000. If the scheme was extended to cover all over 75s in the Island regardless of their income, the States would be paying an estimated £516,150 a year.

Deputy Tadier believes the BBC should also cover the cost of Jersey’s ‘free’ over 75s licences and that, as in the UK, anyone should be able to apply whatever their income.

Back in 2015 Deputy Sam Mezec was given an assurance the States were in contact with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. But, now, more than a year later, nothing seems to have happened. Deputy Tadier wants the Chief Minister to find out what is going on and to report back to the States no later than January 2018.