The BBC’s TV licence fee is tipped to boost by £10.65 bringing the total charge up to £169.65 after two years of freezes to combat the cost of living crisis.
The DCMS has confirmed that there are no plans to freeze the fee advance after Independent MP Julian Knight asked if it would consider “freezing the television licence fee in 2024”.
Sir John Whittingdale MP responded, saying: “We agreed a fair settlement with the BBC that will see the licence fee remain at £159 until 2024 to protect licence fee payers from inflationary pressures, and then rise in line with inflation until the end of 2027 when the current Charter is due for renewal.”
Sir John added that “exactly how a future boost would be calculated is yet to be confirmed” but the September inflation figures suggest an boost of £10.65.
It comes after thousands of people called on the Government to abolish the licence fee altogether, with 15,864 signing an online petition.
The scathing petition, created by Christian James Riley-Rowlands, branded the BBC‘s licence fee an “outdated and unwanted system”
But Westminster has rejected the proposal for the fee to be scrapped despite concerns raised in the petition that it can land people in debt.
Though the licence fee is set to rise, the DCMS suggested that the long-term funding of the broadcaster remains an open question once the current Charter expires.
A DCMS spokesman said: “The BBC‘s funding model faces major challenges due to changes in the way people consume media.”
It follows the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicting that the boost in revenue for the BBC will go from £3.7billion to £4billion thanks to the hike.
TV licences are needed to watch programmes being broadcast live on television as well as to record shows.
Viewers who use BBC iPlayer are also required to the corporation’s licence fee. The fee can be paid in one go or in instalments if you pay monthly by direct debit. Direct debit payments can also be made on a quarterly basis.
Discounts are available to those aged over 75, those who live in care homes and those who are registered blind.
There is also the option of obtaining a TV Licensing payment card, which you can use to pay weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
