Prime Minister questioned by local MP on free TV licences for over-75s

Rosie Cooper, whose West Lancashire constituency covers Appley Bridge, Up Holland and parts of Wrightington, demanded in the House of Commons older residents are not made to pay to watch their favourite shows.

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The BBC is currently consulting on a number of options for the future of TV licences, including scrapping the free TV licence concession for the over 75s altogether, raising the eligible age to 80 and means testing it, for example by linking it to pension credit.

This has already alarmed a number of MPs including Makerfield's Yvonne Fovargue, who has publicly spoken out against the proposals.

Ms Cooper has now kept the issue in the political limelight while slamming the Conservative Party for breaking a manifesto promise to retain free TV licences.

She said: "Almost 7,000 constituents in West Lancashire, benefit from the policy of not charging for TV licences to those over the age of 75.“Many of these people are the most isolated and lonely in our society and for many the TV is their only source of company and key source of information.“Hundreds of these pensioners would be plunged into poverty if this fee were to be introduced, or plunged into further isolation, which would be an absolute disgrace and a tragedy.“The Conservatives made clear in their 2017 party manifesto their promise to protect the free TV licences for over 75s, but it seems clear that yet again, the promise was not worth the paper it was written on.“While taxpayers, customers and viewers want and expect to see the BBC spend their money wisely, investing to provide a universal service to educate, entertain and inform, they want and expect to see the Government keep their promises and stand up for and protect our older people and not remove the concessions they have such as their free TV licence.”

The consultation is running because as part of the last BBC charter the Government devolved responsibility for the free TV licence policy, along with the cost, to the broadcaster.

It is now up to the BBC to decide what to do with the benefit from 2020.

The House of Commons Library calculated that were the free licence linked to pension credit more than three million people would lose their free licence. If the eligibility age was raised to 80 over 1.8 million older people would lose their free licences.

Thousands of people are at risk of having to shell out more for TV in each constituency located partly or wholly in the borough.