Residents may recall my recent Facebook article on 30th July expressing my concern and disappointment that, from the 1st August, the free TV licence for all over 75s was removed.
Instead, the BBC has introduced a new scheme that offers free TV licence assistance to only some over 75 households.
Dundee Volunteer and Voluntary Action has given some helpful advice about how to continue to get a free licence :
“To be eligible, the licence holder must be 75 years or older and you, or your partner living at the same address, must be in receipt of Pension Credit.
Pension Credit is one of the benefits that is not well claimed.
To check if you qualify for this or other benefits such as Housing Benefit, council Tax Reduction or Attendance Allowance you can contact either Welfare Rights at Dundee City Council on 01382 431188 (option 2) or by email on welfare.rights@dundeecity.gov.uk or you call the Age Scotland Helpline on 0800 12 44 222.
Being in receipt of Pension Credit not only enables you to receive a free TV licence, but also allows access to other benefits too.
If you had a free TV Licence up to 31 July, you don’t need to do anything just now to stay licenced.
TV Licensing has started to write out to all those affected asking them to pay or apply for a free one. This may take a couple of months. They will explain in their letter to you what you need to do to set up your next licence. These letters should arrive within the next couple of months and the licensing authority has confirmed that currently you continue to be covered.”
The following information is from Age Scotland :
“We want you to be aware of how to spot a scam letter or email regarding this, so please be advised that TV Licensing will only ask you to pay using the following options:
By post using the address: TV Licensing, PO Box 578, Darlington, DL98 1AN
Online at www.tvl.co.uk/75pay or www.tvl.co.uk/75apply
Over the phone on 0300 790 6151
If you are contacted and asked to pay for your TV licence using a different phone number, a different website or by posting your details to a different address you have been contacted by a scammer.
TV Licensing has also been clear that they will not come to your doorstep to collect the licence fee if you are over 75, so anyone who claims to do so is also a scammer.
If you are unsure about anything, you can call TV Licensing on 0300 303 9695 to speak with someone who can help.
If you have been scammed then we need to know about it, so please report this to Police Scotland on 101.”
Follow this news feed: Dundee Voluntary Action, Fraser Macpherson