I don't want to jump on the band wagon of 'Fake News', but seeing Piers Morgan slate the BBC for abandoning the elderly and even Martin Smith (Money Saving Expert) do the same is disappointing.
Let me first say, the proposed changes to the TV licence will affect some people over 75, but when you look into the situation the facts are this :-
1) There are currently 4,460,000 getting a free TV licence.
2) The Department of Work and Pensions sponsored the idea years ago, and pay the BBC £655.3 million a year to fund those free licences.
3) The cut back therefore is not coming from the BBC, it's coming from the Department of Work and Pensions.
4) They are stating that anyone getting Pension Credit will still not have to pay for the licence. This number is approx. 760,000 people. The other 3.7 million, have incomes which mean they can according to the government be able to comfortably pay for the licence. Probably because they have savings or a private pension that takes their income about the no-tax threshold.
Looking at the research, the idea to scrap the free licence fee, came around the time of George Osbourne's role as chancellor.
So in reality, the £154.50 per year £2.97 per week, could probably be afforded by the people proposed to be charged. What the DWP are currently doing is effectively means testing those who could get a free TV licence.
It's not going to be good press for the DWP, who's back to work test for those affected by disability is throwing up crazy press reports where people who can't walk, can't see, are terminal are tested as 'fit for work'. So this TV licence thing is not going to win them any votes or the political parties which endorse it.
In a country where the biggest problem in old age is loneliness, you would hope we could all be more altruistic. The government is always looking to claw back (ahead of an election) half a billion here and there, often not considering the effect.
But make sure to lay blame where the blame is due. With the department of work and pensions.
