Overview
- A petition launched by Michael Thompson in January demanding state‑funded TV licences for everyone at state pension age has passed the 10,000 threshold and gathered more than 14,000 signatures in late May 2026.
- Passing 10,000 signatures obliges the government to issue an official response and the petition needs 100,000 signatures to be considered for a parliamentary debate.
- Under current rules, only households with someone aged 75 or over who receives means‑tested Pension Credit are entitled to a free licence, and DWP and TV Licensing say claimants can apply from age 74 with the free licence taking effect the month before their 75th birthday.
- The standard TV licence rose in April 2026 (reported at £180 a year) and is set to increase with inflation under the 2022 Licence Fee Settlement, a change campaigners cite as intensifying pressure on pensioner finances.
- Universal free licences were removed in 2020 and responsibility was shifted to the BBC, leaving many eligible pensioners without support because Pension Credit uptake is low, a gap that would carry substantial fiscal and political costs if reversed.