TV Licence holders are to get some extra help with a new 60-day grace period for those struggling with the cost of living. The BBC has announced they will give households a two-month breathing space before enforcement action is taken,
Anyone who watches or records live TV on any channel, or uses BBC iPlayer, must have a TV Licence under the law or possibly face a £1000 fine. You may be able to get a free or discounted TV Licence if you’re 75 or over and get Pension Credit, or if you’re blind or in residential care, reports Birmingham Live.
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. Our action plan will improve support for people in real financial difficulty to help them stay licensed and reduce risk of prosecution."
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They continued: "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.”
The independent advisor for the Gender Disparity Review, Baroness Young of Hornsey, 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."
A TV Licence costs £159 (£53.50 for black and white TV sets) for both homes and businesses. You need your own TV Licence if you have separate tenancy agreements and you watch TV in your own room.
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