STRUGGLING households will be given extra help if they cannot pay for their TV Licence.
Under BBC plans, people will be offered a two-month breathing space if they are facing enforcement action.
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Meanwhile, more people without a TV Licence will be offered payment plans to spread the cost.
Plus, households in financial difficulty will be offered free and independent support from debt charity StepChange.
Everyone who watches live TV in the UK must pay the £159 fee. Without one households are breaking the law and can be prosecuted.
The plan comes in response to a Gender Disparity Review by the BBC which looked at why 75% of those prosecuted for not paying for their TV Licence are women.
The report found more than 60% of single adult households are female compared to less than 40% male.
Meanwhile, it found women are more likely to be at home than men and more likely to be the point of contact for bills.
And crucially, it found more women experience financial hardship than men which can impact their ability to pay for a TV Licence.
Clare Sumner, BBC director of policy, said: “While we know societal factors drive the gender disparity, we’re committed to making improvements to our own processes wherever possible.
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“Our action plan will improve support for people in real financial difficulty to help them stay licensed and reduce risk of prosecution.
“We look forward to the new partnership with StepChange and we will closely monitor its impact.
“I would like to thank all those who contributed to the review and Baroness Lola Young for her independent scrutiny and oversight.”
Baroness Young of Hornsey, the independent advisor for the Gender Disparity Review, added: “The BBC’s Action Plan has the potential to lead to fewer people – particularly those in real financial difficulty – being prosecuted and that is something to be welcomed.
“This was a rigorous review which scrutinised a raft of new evidence and concluded there is no single source of the disproportionality that we see in prosecutions.
“As I have said in the report, women and men do not appear to be treated differently.
“Rather, the societal factors at play are also often present alongside disparities in the criminal justice system, and health and other services.”
The Sun has asked the BBC when the extra support will be introduced and we will update this story when we know more.
Do you need a TV Licence?
Watching live TV without a licence is a criminal offence – without one you could receive a court fine of up to £1,000 plus court costs.
However, if you are watching on demand programmes on streaming services such as Amazon Prime and Netflix, you don’t need a licence.
You will need one if you are using these platforms to stream live TV though.
If you watch or record TV on any channel via a TV service such as Sky, Virgin, Freeview or Freesat, you will need to be covered by a TV Licence.
This applies if you use streaming services such as ITVX and YouTube too.
You will need a TV Licence if you watch on demand programmes on BBC iPlayer.
You will also need a TV Licence to cover you if your screen is black and white – it costs £53.50.
The price of a TV Licence has been frozen until 2024 in a bid to help households struggling with energy and food bills.
Can I get a free TV Licence?
There are certain scenarios where you are exempt from paying for a TV Licence.
For example, if you are on Pension Credit and 75 or over, you don’t have to pay for one.
However, recent research by Policy in Practice found 850,000 households aren’t claiming the benefit and are missing out on the freebie.
Meanwhile, people who live in qualifying residential care and are disabled or over 60 and retired don’t have to pay for one.
Plus, businesses such as hotels and mobile units don’t have to pay for one.
University students have to pay for a TV Licence if they live in student accommodation.
However, you can claim a refund on any months you don’t use the licence if you were living there for less than 12 months.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
