The BBC has confirmed plans to scrap free TV licences for millions of people aged over 75, with the benefit only available to those on Pension Credit from June 2020. The move affects around 3 million older people and has been branded 'an outrage' by Labour and 'shoddy' by Age UK.
BBC chairman Sir David Clementi acknowledged the decision would be 'unwelcome news' and 'a struggle' for over-75s, but said the corporation needed to be 'fair to all our audiences'. The decision was made despite over 190,000 responses to a consultation.
Shadow Culture Secretary Tom Watson said: 'It is an outrage that this Government is overseeing the scrapping of free TV licences for 3 million older people, leaving a Tory manifesto promise in tatters.' He challenged all Tory leadership candidates to honour the 2017 commitment.
Conservative MP Peter Heaton-Jones called the decision 'disgraceful', 'arrogant' and 'cowardly', while the SNP branded it 'daylight robbery'. Age UK warned that at least 650,000 of the poorest pensioners would face a big new annual bill they cannot afford.
The National Pensioners Convention criticised means-testing as 'absolute nonsense', noting that Pension Credit is massively underclaimed. The BBC said copying the current scheme was 'ultimately untenable'.
