Dwp warning as 500,000 entitled to key benefit missing out on free tv licence

YOU COULD BE ENTITLED TO A FREE TV LICENCE 16:51, 01 Jun 2025 Tens of thousands of people claiming a key benefit are missing out on a free TV licence. About 500,000 households are entitled

to a free £174.50 TV licence but are failing to claim it. Campaign group Policy in Practice says that some UK households are unaware they are eligible for the free perk. People claiming

Pension Credit from the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) qualify for a free TV licence. But according to official figures, about 500,000 people who should be receiving the benefit

are not claiming it. Pension Credit is worth about £3,900 a year. Article continues below READ MORE: DWP STATE PENSION WARNING TO EVERYONE BORN IN THESE YEARS OVER BONUS £5,496 Deven

Ghelani, director of Policy in Practice, said: "There are almost half-a-million people over 75 missing out on the free TV licence, most of them because they aren’t claiming Pension

Credit when they could. "People on Pension Credit have to first be aware that they are eligible for a free TV licence and then they have to apply for one. "Policy in Practice’s

local authority partners have contacted the BBC about auto-enrolment and we are hoping for a positive response." You need a TV licence to watch or record TV on any channel on any TV

service like Sky, Virgin Media and Freeview. You also need one to watch live on streaming services like ITVX, All 4, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video and to use BBC iPlayer. Anyone aged 75 or

over and claiming Pension Credit, or living with a partner who receives the benefit, can get a free TV licence. Pension Credit is awarded to help with living costs if you are over State

Pension age and on a low income. It can also help with housing costs such as ground rent or service charges. Pension Credit comes in two parts and you could be eligible for one or both

parts. It tops up your weekly income to £227.10 if you’re single or your joint weekly income to £346.60 if you have a partner. Gov.uk says: "You may get extra amounts if you have other

responsibilities and costs. "The top up and extra amounts are known as 'Guarantee Credit'." You could get the 'Savings Credit' part of Pension Credit if both of

the following apply: * You reached State Pension age before April 6, 2016 * You saved some money for retirement, for example a personal or workplace pension Article continues below The DWP

pays £17.30 Savings Credit a week if you are single or up to £19.36 a week if you have a partner. Gov.uk says: "You might still get some Savings Credit even if you do not get the

Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit." _Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here._