The BBC has announced today that it will be increasing support for people who are struggling to pay the TV licence, which is currently £159 a year.
The plan comes in response to the BBC’s Gender Disparity Review, which was set up to examine and understand why 75 percent of those prosecuted are women. The review found this disparity is largely caused by societal factors.
From relaxing enforcement measures to implementing a simple payment plan extension, the support is aimed at those in real financial difficulty, to help them “stay licensed” and “reduce the risk” of prosecution.
Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey, the independent advisor for the Gender Disparity Review, said: “The BBC’s Action Plan has the potential to lead to fewer people – particularly those in real financial difficulty – being prosecuted and that is something to be welcomed.
“This was a rigorous review which scrutinised a raft of new evidence and concluded there is no single source of the disproportionality that we see in prosecutions.”
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She added that while women and men do not appear to be treated differently, the societal factors at play are “also often present”, alongside disparities in the criminal justice system, and health and other services.
The first key action in the plan includes extending the simple payment plan to all unlicensed households to enable them to make smaller payments. The simple payment plan helps spread the cost of a new licence in small instalments over 12 months.
Secondly, working in partnership with the debt advice charity StepChange, the BBC will run a pilot to ensure that anyone experiencing financial difficulty will have access to free, independent support.
There will now be a two-month breathing space on enforcement action for anyone in financial difficulty who agrees to a free, independent debt advice referral from TV Licensing.
According to the BBC, this mirrors the “Breathing Space” legislation, which is a wider policy to help support people with debt or financial problems.
TV Licensing will also improve the way people can provide evidence under the public interest test; trial new ways of allocating and prioritising visits; and increase opportunities for second-time evasion offenders to pay for a licence during a visit.
Clare Sumner, director of policy at the BBC, said: “While we know societal factors drive the gender disparity, we’re committed to making improvements to our own processes wherever possible.
“Our action plan will improve support for people in real financial difficulty to help them stay licensed and reduce risk of prosecution. We look forward to the new partnership with StepChange and we will closely monitor its impact.
“I would like to thank all those who contributed to the review and Baroness Lola Young for her independent scrutiny and oversight.”
Vanessa Northam, head of charity development at StepChange Debt Charity, commented: “Our partnership with the BBC will help TV Licensing customers in financial difficulty to access free, independent debt advice and reduce the intolerable burden that money worries bring.”
She added: “Demand for StepChange’s services is understandably high given the enormous cost pressures so many households are facing, with women making up 65 percent of new clients who contact us. We welcome TV Licensing’s move to provide additional support for their customers.”
