How to check if you are eligible for £159 TV Licence refund before price rise in April
While most Brits are required to pay for a TV licence - some folks are exempt and even be entitled to a refund if you’ve paid for one you don’t need.
The TV licence is currently £159 for standard colour per year. It's set to go up in price in April this year and will then cost £169.50.
So, how do you know if you are eligible?
When do you need a TV Licence?
In the UK if you watch any live broadcasts - including streaming TV through a service such as Amazon Prime Video or BBC iPlayer as well as via TV channels such as ITV or Channel 4 - then you need a TV licence.
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‘Live broadcasts’ doesn’t just mean things such as sport or news that is broadcast live, but anything that is airing such as soaps, documentaries and movies.
You also need one if you watch any content on BBC iPlayer.
And if you are caught watching TV without one, then you can be whacked with a fine of up to £1,000.
Who doesn't need a TV Licence?
Some people are exempt from paying for a TV licence and if you’ve paid for a licence, you don’t need then you could be entitled to a refund.
So, who is exempt?
Well, the TV Licence site explains: “You don’t need a TV Licence if you only ever download or watch on demand or catch up programmes on services other than BBC iPlayer. You also don’t need a licence to watch S4C TV on demand.
“You do need a licence to use BBC iPlayer, on any device.”
Am I entitled to a refund?
You could be eligible for a refund if:
- You move to an address which already has a TV licence.
- You move abroad.
- You transfer your existing TV licence to someone else.
- You move into a care home.
- You no longer watch ANY live TV on ANY channel, TV service or streaming service (including live content on streaming sites such as YouTube).
The TV licensing website says that 'you can apply for a refund if
- You won’t need your licence again before it expires, and you have at least one complete month left on it AND
- Your licence expired less than two years ago*.
*If you’re eligible for an over 75 or blind concession, you can apply at any time and for any length of time left on your licence'.
So if any of these apply to you, you can click here to find out more about how to claim your refund.
The TV licence website adds: “You can apply for a refund up to 14 days before the date you no longer need the TV Licence.
"If your licence has already expired, you can apply if less than two years have passed since the expiry date.”
Claire Reid