If you or the person you care for is aged 75 or older, blind or severely sight impaired, or lives in residential care, you can apply for a free TV licence.
Aged 74 or over
If you're aged 74, you can buy a short-term licence, which costs less than a full licence and will last until you're 75, when you get a free licence.
However, if anyone who lives with you is aged 75 or older; your home qualifies for a free over-75 TV licence, even if there are younger people living there. You will need to transfer the TV licence to their name if they're not the licence holder by calling TV Licensing on 0300 790 6131.
How to get your free or short-term licence
You will need to know your National Insurance number. If you don’t know this, TV Licensing will ask you for another form of ID to prove your age. Contact TV Licensing for further information on this.
You can apply online or by calling 0300 790 6131. If you pay for your licence using a TV Licensing payment card or savings card, call 0300 555 0286.
You will need to remember to contact TV Licensing to apply for a free licence before you reach the age of 75. Your licence will then automatically renew each year until 2016. If you pay by direct debit you need to make sure TV licensing cancel your direct debits to avoid paying when you don’t have to.
Blind or severely sight impaired
If you or anyone you live with is blind or severely sight impaired, your home qualifies for a 50% concession on the cost of the TV licence. The TV licence can be transferred into the name of the blind person by calling TV Licensing on 0300 790 6131.
To claim the concession, you will need to provide "proof" that you are blind or severely sight impaired. This could be a photocopy of:
- a certificate or other document issued by or on behalf of your local authority showing that you or the person you care for is registered as blind or severely sight impaired
- a certificate from an ophthalmologist stating that you or the person you care for is blind or severely sight impaired
You will need to renew the licence every year as normal but will not have to reapply for a blind concession each time.
Further information about concessions for blind or severely sight-impaired people is available from the TV Licensing website.
Residential care
If the person you care for lives in a residential care home, they may qualify for a residential care concessionary TV licence. This licence may only cost £7.50 a year.
The residential care home manager should be able to tell you what action you need to take. Further information about residential care home reductions is available from the TV Licensing website.
Refunds
You can claim a refund for your TV licence for one of the following reasons:
- You no longer use a TV.
- You are covered by another TV licence.
- You purchased a TV licence in error.
- The TV licence holder dies. The executor of the person’s estate may apply for a refund for each unused quarter of a year that is left on the valid TV licence.
- A replacement TV licence has been obtained.
An application for a refund must be submitted within two years of the expiry date of the licence. Refunds will be made payable by cheque or BACS transfer.
You can request a refund online or by calling TV Licensing on 0300 790 6131.
The official online source of government information on TV Licensing is Directgov.
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