Martin Lewis says UK households could be owed TV licence refunds if they meet the eligibility for a freebie. The BBC and ITV regular spoke out to share eligibility for a licence refund from TV Licensing if you’ve paid out the £169 fee.
Mr Lewis’ team at MSE said: “If you’re moving in with someone who already has a TV licence or moving somewhere where you won’t watch ‘live TV’ or use BBC iPlayer.If you’re moving abroad. If you’re 75 or over and receiving Pension Credit (or living with someone who is).
“If you’re moving into a care home. If the TV licence holder has died, a refund may be due to the estate. If you have two licences for the same address. If you have a licence, but will not watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV or use BBC iPlayer before your licence expires.
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“If you’ve changed the type of licence to a cheaper one, such as a black-and-white licence, you may be due a partial refund.” TV Licensing may then pay a visit to the address to confirm if the decision is correct. It says these inspections find one in five households do end up needing one.
If a licence is needed, the household will have to pay the full licence fee and may risk prosecution and a fine. Fines vary depending on location and can see people in UK mainland face a penalty charge of up to £1,000, while those in Guernsey and Jersey could face fines of up to £2,000 and £500 respectively.
Brits can request a TV licence refund if they won’t need their licence again before it expires, and they have at least one complete month left on it. According to the TV Licensing website, Brits can apply for a refund up to 14 days before their TV licence is no longer needed. If the licence has already expired, they may still be eligible for a refund, as long as less than two years have passed since the expiry date.