The analysis of government figures hows that billions of pounds in other benefits are also going unclaimed by many thousands of people who are entitled to them across the country
Nearly 300,000 Brits are missing out on claiming free TV licences that they are entitled to, new figures show.
The analysis, by Policy in Practice, shows that billions of pounds in other benefits are also going unclaimed by thousands of people entitled to them across the country.
It costs £174.50 a year for a colour TV licence, while a black and white licence costs £58.50 with the fees being payable annually or every month via direct debit.
Everyone who watches live TV or BBC iPlayer is required by law to have a licence, or risk a fine close to £1,000. Sales of TV licence are down across the UK, according to figures from the BBC, with 23.8 million sold, compared to 24 million the previous year.
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There are several reasons that people who aren’t claiming their TV licence could be due a refund. You can apply for a refund if you won’t need your licence again before it expires, and you have at least one complete month left on it.
For example, if a licence holder has stopped using TV equipment at their address and isn’t using any digital means to watch TV, they would be eligible for a refund.
Also, refunds can also be issued when a licence holder moves to a different address, where they were previously covered by someone else’s licence.
If you upgrade your licence then you are able to claim back any unused months left on your previous licence. People aged over 75s and those who receive pension credit can claim a free licence.
Anyone who is registered blind can claim a 50% discount and a reduced fee of £7.50 is available for those over 60 and disabled living in a form of support accommodation.
Refunds can be requested via the information on the TV licence website and the TV licensing authority says it aims to issue any refund within 21 days of receiving an application.
Refunds are made in the form or a cheque or direct payment into your bank account. Note that cancelling your Direct Debit does not cancel your licence, so unless you notify TV licensing, you will still receive the reminder letters.
The Policy in Practice analysis also showed that more than £11billion of universal credit goes unclaimed every year, with 1.67million households missing out on an average of nearly £7,000.
Other major benefits are also being under-claimed by billions of pounds. The analysis showed that pensioners are missing out on £1.6billion of pension credit they are owed, every year. Meanwhile families entitled to child benefits are also missing out, with £1.4billion left unclaimed.
Benefits calculator tools exist online to help you see what you could be entitled to, based on your income, savings and circumstances. Three of the most widely-used are Better Off Calculator, Entitledto and Turn2us.