TV licence shock as millions of over 75s will lose out
The BBC has scrapped the free TV licence for all over 75s, meaning only those who receive Pension Credit will be exempt from paying the fee from next year. There has been widespread criticism of the move to means test the concession, which was announced days after the D-Day anniversary coverage on the BBC and will affect millions when it comes into effect on June 1 2020. The licence fee, which currently costs £154.50 a year, had been free to all over-75s since 2000. Now up to 3.5million over 75s will be hit with a bill and only 900,000 households which receive Pension Credit – a benefit given to the lowest-income households – will continue to get their licence for free. The Government criticised the BBC’s move, after it reached an agreement with the broadcaster in 2015 that said the cost of providing free licences to the over 75s would be taken over by the BBC – at a cost of £745m from 2020-2022. In addition, the Tory Manifesto of 2017 stated that the free licences should continue to be given to all over 75s. Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesperson said: “We have been clear that we expected the BBC to continue this concession. We want the BBC to look again at ways of supporting older people. “As part of the long-term funding agreement, the BBC agreed to take on responsibility for this concession in 2020 and we have been clear that we expected the BBC to continue this concession. “In 2017/18, it received over £3.8 billion in licence fee income – more than the year before – and we have guaranteed the licence fee will increase with inflation until 2022. “They are also making over £1 million a year from commercial work, such as selling content abroad, which can be reinvested. “It is the BBC’s responsibility to ensure its substantial licence fee income is used in an appropriate way so that it can deliver for UK audiences.” TV licence move is “shocking” Care & Nursing editor Victoria Galligan said: “The free TV licence for over 75s was one of the few remaining perks of getting older. Many people face isolation and loneliness in their later years and the television is a companion to them – their window to the outside world. “With pensions barely covering living costs, rising food and utility bills and in-house social care adding to elderly people’s outgoings, another unforeseen charge is the last thing that the older generation needs. “To remove a benefit from the most vulnerable in our society, which has been in place for nearly 20 years, is shocking. I think many people will be left questioning whether the BBC is using the licence fee wisely and whether it should still be mandatory for people to pay the fee – even if they don’t use the BBC’s services – when there are over 70 channels available for free viewing and so many rival subscription services like Sky, Netflix and Amazon Prime on offer.” As a boycott was called for by campaigners, BBC chairman Sir David Clementi said: “This has been a very difficult decision. We’ve obviously thought about it extremely hard. We think that it’s fair to those over 75 but fair all to all our audiences for whom there was no appetite for the level of cuts that would have been necessary if those concessions had been extended to everybody. “But there are a number of people for whom this will be unwelcome news.” Sir David added that a BBC consultation had found that a large number of over 75s said they were prepared for means-testing to be brought in or to see the free TV licence abolished completely, if it meant that at-risk services – such as BBC Two, BBC Four, the BBC News Channel, the BBC Scotland channel, Radio 5live, and some local radio stations – would be kept. For more information on the changes, see the BBC News website.
The NHS at 70
By editor Victoria Galligan As the NHS turns 70, we take a look at a round-up of news, views and events which are taking place across the country to celebrate the world’s greatest health service. Our nation became the envy of the world when, on 5 July 1948, the NHS was launched by Health Secretary Aneurin “Nye” Bevan, at Park Hospital in Manchester (now Trafford General Hospital). This was the first time that hospitals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, opticians and dentists had been brought together under one umbrella to provide services for free at the point of delivery. NHS70 and The Big7Tea NHS England has a calendar of events here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/nhs70/ and its NHS70 team have worked with a raft of organisations from the British Medical Association to Unison to plan events. From May to July, local NHS bodies have been encouraged to host local events including open days and exhibitions. And on the Big Day itself, 5th July, The Big 7Tea will take place. This is a huge tea party where venues can invite guests for refreshments, and to raise funds for NHS charities. Downloadable packs are available to decorate your party. Also on July 5th, there will be church services for NHS staff at Westminster Abbey and York Minster. ‘Are we expecting too much from the NHS?’ To mark the BBC’s coverage of the NHS’s 70th birthday, researchers from the Health Foundation, Institute for Fiscal Studies, The King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust have joined forces for the first time, using combined expertise to shed light on some of the big questions on the NHS. The report, ‘Are we expecting too much from the NHS?’ was authored by Helen McKenna (The King’s Fund), with contributions from Emma Spencelayh and Peter Stilwell (the Health Foundation), Mark Dayan (The Nuffield Trust), Elaine Kelly (Institute for Fiscal Studies), and David Buck, Dan Wellings and Leo Ewbank (The King’s Fund). The report questioned the public and found that 62% of UK adults (15+) support the soft drinks levy, while 70% support limiting fast food outlets in areas near schools. Helen Mckenna, Senior Policy Adviser at The King’s Fund, said: “It is essential that national and local government use all the means at their disposal to improve the public’s health. This should include being bolder in using tax and regulation where this can be effective. Although politicians may balk at the idea of the ‘nanny state’, our research suggests these types of intervention may enjoy stronger public support than they often assume. “As it approaches its 70th birthday, the NHS still enjoys overwhelming public support but funding pressures are beginning to take a toll and there are signs that people are becoming less satisfied with NHS services.” The Story of Our Lives The University of Manchester’s Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, is creating the first shared social history of the National Health Service, ‘From Cradle to Grave: The NHS at 70’. A major component of the project is the creation of an innovative new website which allows the public to submit their stories of the NHS by uploading recordings, photos and documents. The website acts as a hub for existing and previous histories of the NHS. A University spokesperson said, “We urgently need to capture the stories of the first generations who worked and were cared for by this unique institution as they are now in their eighties and nineties. We also need to capture the experiences of many communities of patients and workers that have barely featured in NHS histories to date. This includes disabled people, people with mental health illnesses, workers from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups, support staff, trade unions, campaigners and the thousands of volunteers who work in the NHS.” The digital archive can be accessed here: https://www.nhs70.org.uk/story/nhs-70-launch-digital-archive Tune in to catch the action on TV There are a plethora of TV specials planned in upcoming weeks, or which have recently aired and can be seen on catch-up TV, including: Life on the Ward – BBC1 Matron, Medicine and Me – BBC1 Songs of Praise NHS Special – BBC1 How the NHS Changed Our World – BBC1 NHS Live Event programme – BBC2 Hospitals that Changed the World – BBC2 The British Buyers Club – BBC2 Hospital – BBC2 Britain’s Best Junior Doctors – BBC2 The People Vs The NHS: Who Gets the Drugs? – BBC2 NHS At 70: Live – BBC2 A&E Live – ITV Love Your Garden: NHS Special – ITV The Big NHS Singalong Live – ITV The People’s History of the NH – BBC Four To Provide All People – BBC Wales Healing Minds – Channel 5 Tag us in on your celebrations on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! @carenursingmag Video: https://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep1week27/big-nhs-singalong-live Photo Credits: Helen Mckenna, credit King’s Fund Jo Brand, credit BBC How the NHS Changed Our World, credit BBC (slider image)
