Millions of Brits to be hit with BBC TV Licence 'price hike' next year
This new cost of living blow is expected to hit next April as the Government sets the price of the TV Licence fee.
Households across the UK are expected to be hit with a major blow next year as the annual BBC TV Licence fee is expected to rise to over £180 in April.
Millions of Brits currently pay a TV Licence fee each year to watch their favourite live TV or BBC content on demand. The fee currently sits at £174.50 per year, but is now predicted to take a major jump in price.
Set by the Government, the BBC TV Licence usually rises every April, which is common for most fees due to the cost of living. The amount this fee increases by is typically in line with the previous September rate of Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation.
This year, the September rate of inflation was confirmed to be 3.8 per cent, reports the Mirror. This means that if the fee goes up by 3.8 per cent in April, Brits will be expected to pay just over £181 for the colour licence.
The TV Licence is already a touchy subject for many Brits as around 300,000 households stopped paying for their TV Licence last year. It should be noted that this exact increase has not yet been confirmed by the Government.
Households need to legally pay for a TV Licence in order to watch any live TV or any BBC content, whether that is live or through the BBC iPlayer.
However, if your households only watch shows on catch-up using streaming services that aren't BBC iPlayer, you do not need a TV Licence.
This means if you are binge watching a series on Netflix, Amazon Prime, ITVX, Disney+, All 4 or My5 through catch up, you do not need to pay the fee. However, if households are watching live shows through these services, then a TV Licence needs to be upheld.
Additionally, there are some groups of people that are entitled to a free or reduced price TV licence. This means people over the age of 75 who claim a Pension Credit can watch whatever they want for free.
Meanwhile, those who live in residential care or sheltered accommodation may be eligible for a concessionary TV Licence, which is currently £7.50 per room, flat or bungalow.
Households who have someone who in blind or severely sight-impaired in the property are also entitled to getting 50 per cent cut off their current TV Licence fee.
Another group that is able to get away with watching live TV for free are students who are living away from their home.
As long as they are watching TV on a device that isn't plugged into mains, such as a tablet, smartphone or laptop, then they can be covered by their parents' TV Licence.
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It should also be noted that those who don't need a TV Licence anymore could also be entitled to a refund if their licence hasn't expired yet.
For example, people may not need a licence anymore if they are moving to an address that already has a TV Licence. However, it should be noted that the money owed back will depend on how long is left on the existing licence .
If households are caught watching live TV or content on BBC iPlayer without a licence, then you could be fined up to £1,000.