Scrapping TV licences for elderly 'act of cruelty', say councillors

Around 43,000 people in Sheffield are over the age of 75, three quarters of which are expected to lose their TV licence as a result of the decision.

Councillors said it helps the elderly to keep up to date with news and rely on it for entertainment and companionship.

A motion, put forward to the council, by councillor Cate McDonald, seconded by Coun Jayne Dunn, stated: “This Government have broken their promise to protect older people and notes that not only has funding for adult social care been slashed, plunging countless older people into loneliness, but from June 2020 the over 75s will be stripped of their free TV licence.”

They called it an “act of cruelty” to force pensioners to pay the £154.50 a year for a licence, and added: “It is not the BBC who are to blame for this, but a government who have failed to do enough and have broken their 2017 Conservative Party Election Manifesto to maintain free TV licenses.”

More than 634,000 people signed Age UK’s petition against the plans.

From 1 June, 2020 people 75 and older will lose the ability to apply for a free licence.

The motion will be discussed at a full council meeting on Wednesday, October 2 from 2pm.