City MP Stephen Morgan backs call to try and force a vote in Parliament on Wednesday 8 May to keep free TV licences for over-75s
New research shows that thousands of local pensioners could lose their free TV licences and pay a combined total of hundreds of thousands of pounds a year if Government plans go ahead. Concerned by the impact on older residents in Portsmouth, city MP Stephen Morgan has been taking actions.
The MP has raised questions to the relevant Government department in the House of Commons about the matter, written to constituents affected, sought views from local people and community groups to understand views and concerns, and lobbied the Minister responsible directly.
Millions of older people across the country could lose their TV licence in 2020 despite the Conservatives’ 2017 Manifesto promise to protect free TV licences until 2022.
In Portsmouth South over 5,000 older households could face having to pay a licence fee, costing collectively nearly £800,000 annually.
If the concession is means-tested, for example by linking to Pension Credit, 3,500 households will lose this crucial pensioner benefit, costing £532,000 annually.
If the age for the concession is raised to 80 nearly 2,000 households will be hit with new expenses, costing collectively nearly £300,000 annually.
As part of the last BBC Charter, the Government devolved responsibility for the free TV licence policy, and the cost, to the BBC.
By outsourcing responsibility for paying for free TV licences, this Government will be saving £745 million across the UK in 2021/22. This is in addition to the £220 million the Government will be saving that same year through changes to pension credit. This money, nearly a billion pounds, is coming directly out of the pockets of pensioners.
The prospect of elderly people losing their free TV licences makes a mockery of Theresa May’s claim that austerity is over. The Government should take responsibility and save TV licences for the elderly.
Stephen Morgan MP, Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South said:
“This Government has broken its manifesto promise to keep free TV licences until 2022, and now millions of elderly people are facing losing their free TV licences.
If these plans go ahead, thousands of local people over the age of 75 in our community will lose out, and they will pay a combined total of hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.
Through my consultation with local people and all the feedback I’ve received, I know how much a big deal this is to older people in Portsmouth.
This is yet another policy that punishes pensioners. Through scrapping free TV licences and changing pension credit alone, this Government would offload almost a billion pounds of costs onto our oldest citizens in a single year.
This Tory Government is picking Portsmouth pensioners’ pockets. I will continue to call on the Government to urgently reconsider and fund free TV licences for over-75s in our city, that’s what Portsmouth pensioners deserve.
I welcome the opportunity to force a vote in Parliament to urge Ministers to think again.”
