London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 07, 2025

Ten-page licence fee documents for over-75s are too 'long and complex', charity warns BBC

Ten-page licence fee documents for over-75s are too 'long and complex', charity warns BBC

Older viewers are likely to start receiving the ten-page letters from today . Age UK said letter do not make it clear when the elderly will be demanded to pay. Age UK criticised the switch as ‘complex’ and said the letters were 'quite long'
A charity has criticised the BBC for sending out ‘long and complex’ letters to the over-75s about its new TV licence scheme.

Age UK said the documents fail to make it clear when the elderly will get a demand for payment after millions lost their right to a free licence.

Older viewers are likely to start receiving the ten-page letters from today outlining how the benefit will now only go to those on pension credit.

But the charity warned the letters confirmed its view that the controversial change would ‘in all likelihood end in tears’.

It came into force on August 1 but the broadcaster has only just sent out the first letters telling the elderly what to do.

They will tell pensioners that if the BBC has not heard from them within two months, their licence will be cancelled automatically. Bosses intended to launch the scheme in June but delayed it because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Age UK criticised the switch as ‘complex’ and described the ‘bundle of papers’ explaining it as ‘quite long’. It warned that those with dementia would face particular problems. Charity director Caroline Abrahams said: ‘The BBC can’t be criticised for not giving older people much information about their new TV licence scheme but the problem is their plan is complex and the bundle of papers explaining it quite long.

‘It’s likely that some older people will get lost in the detail and wonder what they are supposed to do. The over-75 population is hugely diverse so while some will no doubt navigate the documentation with ease, others may find this impossibly hard.

‘If they have families or friends to help, that will make a big difference but there are many older people on their own who cannot rely on support.

‘The BBC’s pack omits the one piece of information many older people will most want to see: When they are likely to receive a letter asking them to pay. In the absence of this, some will be concerned that they have somehow missed their letter and are liable to be found at fault.’ She said others will be ‘adamant’ they are not going to pay for a licence ‘come what may’.

The BBC says it has 800 additional staff to deal with queries from the over-75s and has dealt with more than 300,000 calls on the issue since March.

A spokesman said: ‘Over-75s will start to receive letters about how to set up their new TV licence from today.

‘No one needs to do anything until they have the letter, whether that’s paying or applying for a free licence, and no one needs to leave their home. We are also working with hundreds of money advice and community organisations to reach older people.’

The BBC said 450,000 older viewers have applied for a free licence and those who have to pay can choose instalments.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
×