The BBC is putting tens of millions of pounds into chasing pensioners for their license fee payments as the corporation has said it plans to ‘enforce the law’.
According to reports from the Daily Mail, bailiffs could even be sent into the homes to seize and sell their possessions if ministers decide to support replacing the criminal sanction for licence-fee evasion with a civil penalty.
New call centres manned by 800 staff are being set up to deal with questions and some expected resistance from the over-75s about the fee.
It is estimated that it will cost the BBC £38 million in the first year and £13 million in subsequent years, according to The Daily Telegraph.
There are around 4.5 million over 75s who will have to pay the licence fee this year. If all of them do it will bring in around £700 million to the corporation’s coffers, however many are eligible for a reduction in the cost.
The corporation also faces a humiliating stand-off with tens of thousands of pensioners who ‘will not pay’ for a TV licence as a result of its controversial new over-75s scheme.
The National Pensioners Convention predicted the ranks of those refusing to pay is likely to be swelled by pensioners under the age of 75 who would also not pay the charge in a show of ‘solidarity’.
Charity Age UK criticised the BBC for sending out ‘long and complex’ letters to the over-75s about its new TV licence scheme.
Charity director Caroline Abrahams said: ‘The BBC can’t be criticised for not giving older people much information about their new TV licence scheme but the problem is their plan is complex and the bundle of papers explaining it quite long.
‘It’s likely that some older people will get lost in the detail and wonder what they are supposed to do.
‘The over-75 population is hugely diverse so while some will no doubt navigate the documentation with ease, others may find this impossibly hard.
‘If they have families or friends to help, that will make a big difference but there are many older people on their own who cannot rely on support.
‘The BBC’s pack omits the one piece of information many older people will most want to see: When they are likely to receive a letter asking them to pay.
‘In the absence of this, some will be concerned that they have somehow missed their letter and are liable to be found at fault.’
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Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
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