Much has been written about the withdrawal of Free TV licences for the over 75s so I can’t resist a comment! Quite apart from the government’s decision to abdicate its responsibility for these licences, it is generally accepted that UK state pensions do not compare particularly favourably with those of many European countries. As such, the granting of a free licence is simply increasing UK pensions by a small amount – an amount which should, you can argue, have been part of the pension in the first place.
Irrespective of whether the “allowance” is considered “cash” or “licence”, all over 75s pensions are being reduced by, currently, £154.50. Thus, the only way to maintain the buying value of a pension is to dispense with the TV! Quite a drastic decision for many people.
At the very minimum, the cost of a licence should be included, as cash, with pensions – subject to tax if appropriate.
Cameron Morice, Reading
