BBC CRYING WOLF OVER NOT GETTING FUNDING AFTER 2020,FOR FREE LICENCES FOR OVERV 75S

BBC warns unless over-75s pay for a TV licence it may have to "fundamentally change" with cuts to service

BBC CRYING WOLF OVER NOT GETTING FUNDING AFTER 2020,FOR FREE LICENCES FOR OVERV 75S…………………….

At the moment, all households with people aged over 75 are entitled to receive a free TV licence which costs £745 million a year and is due to finish in June 2020. Still those under retirement age ,get no help towards the licence fee that are on low income or benefits.

Many tv companys survive without getting a penny from the tv licence fee.

BBC uses licence fee cash to pay PR agencies £2.5m…to promote the licence fee.THE BBC is using your cash to foot the bill for a £2.5million PR campaign promoting its licence fee – as well as spelling out the consequences for anyone caught not to pay the hefty £150 annual charge.

BBC pay: Why are BBC presenters paid so much?

THE BBC has revealed the salaries of its highest earners, with Chris Evans and Gary Lineker topping the list.Former Top Gear host Chris Evans has been revealed as the BBC's top earner, with a salary bracket of £2.2million to £2.49 million.

Gary Lineker earns between £1.75 million and £1.79 million, with Claudia ranking as the corporation's highest paid woman on £450,000 to £499,000.

Jeremy Vine is the top-paid newsreader, earning between £700,000 and £749,999, with Fiona Bruce the highest-paid woman on BBC News, earning between £350,000 and £399,999.

Gary Lineker - £1,750,000-£1,759,999.

Chris Evans - £1,660,000-£1,669,999.

Graham Norton - £600,000-£609,999.

Steve Wright - £550,000-£559,999.

Huw Edwards - £520,000-£529,999.

Jeremy Vine - £440,000-£449,999.

Nicky Campbell - £410,000-£419,999.

Alan Shearer - £410,000-£419,999.

The BBC is launching a consultation period to decide how licence fees for over-75s should be paid for .

They are currently financed by a government-funded scheme, which is due to end in 2020.

It is expected the cost of free licences to the over-75s will total £745m - a fifth of the BBC's current budget by 2021/22.

The consultation period is running for 12 weeks from 20 November until 12 February.

In a speech to the BBC, Director General Tony Hall said there were "important issues to get right".

Lord Hall added: "While the costs of the schemes are rising, so is the need for our programmes and content. We are looking at options for reform, what's fair, what's feasible," he said.

1. Scrap free licence fees for over-75s

The report estimates that residual costs to shut down the concession would cost £72m - or 10% of the cost of continuing with it.

When the government introduced the free licence fee for over-75s in 2000, it was argued the benefits would (largely) go to poorer households. However, that argument has weakened with the improvement in living standards for the over-75s.

2. Replace with a 50% concession for all over-75 households

A 50% concession is in line with what's currently being offered to those with visual impairments.

3. Increase the age threshold for eligibility

Raise age threshold to 77

Aligns with increased longevity and reforms to state pension age but retains an arbitrary threshold.

The report estimates that it would cost £645m which is 87% of the cost of reinstating the current concession in 2021/22.

They note the vast majority of households containing someone older than 75 also contain someone over the age of 77 so relatively few households would lose out.

Raise age threshold to 80

This would align with other pensioner benefits that begin at 80 such as the over-80s increase in winter fuel payments.

The estimated cost is £481m - that's 65% of the cost of reinstating the current situation.

People over the age of 80 are more likely to live alone so this could help to target the concession at those who are most reliant on television for company.

4. Means-test eligibility for the concession

Link free TV licences to over-75s who get pension credit

Pension credit is a government-defined measure of need - so this would improve targeting of those at need of a free TV licence.

It's estimated this would cost £209m or 28% of the cost of keeping the current concession.

Link free TV licences to anyone receiving pension credit regardless of age

Improves targeting and would align with other benefits.

The estimated cost to the BBC is £327m - 44% as much as that of reinstating the current concession

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