Care homes

Standard TV licences usually cost £174.50 annually, while the black-and-white licence fee now stands at £58.50

The standard TV Licence fee increased for many last year, with the Government raising the price to £174.50 in April 2025. This annual charge is generally required for households or businesses that watch live television or use the BBC iPlayer.

However, it may come as a surprise that certain people could qualify for a free or discounted licence under specific circumstances. These reductions could also be applicable to those with black-and-white TV sets, which typically incur an annual cost of £58.50 under the licence scheme.

According to Government guidelines, people over 75 years old who receive Pension Credit are primarily eligible for a free TV Licence. The same applies if you share a residence with a partner who receives Pension Credit, as the licence covers everyone at a particular address.

It’s essential to clarify that Pension Credit is distinct from the State Pension. It refers to a means-tested benefit for people over State Pension age on a low income, boosting weekly income to £227.10 if you’re single or £346.60 with a partner.

Those claiming Pension Credit can apply for a free TV Licence when they turn 74, but will still need to pay until the end of the month before their 75th birthday. After this point, they will be covered by the free licence, according to the Mirror.

The Government also confirms that people who are blind or residing in residential care are entitled to apply for a reduced-cost TV Licence. To qualify for the residential care home reduction, applicants must be either retired and aged over 60, or disabled. Those who meet the criteria will see the TV Licence cost drop dramatically to merely £7.50.

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Housing managers at residential care facilities are also authorised to submit applications on their residents’ behalf. Meanwhile, anyone registered as blind, or living with someone who is, can secure a 50% discount on their TV Licence, bringing the cost of a colour licence down to £87.25.

Government guidance explains: “The licence must be in the blind person’s name – if it’s not, you can make a new application to transfer it into their name. You’ll need to provide your existing TV Licence number when you apply.”

People aged 75 and over who receive Pension Credit can apply for a free licence online or by phone. The Government’s official numbers for this are 0300 790 6071 (telephone) and 0300 709 6050 (minicom). Others who are registered blind can apply for a licence on the TV Licensing website.

For more information, head to GOV.UK or the official TV Licensing website.

Why did the licence fee change?

In 2024, the Secretary of State announced a 2.9% price rise, effective from April 1, 2025, aligned with annual CPI inflation. The official TV Licensing site confirms that this represents a daily increase of just over 1p and is only the second licence fee hike since April 1, 2021.

This adjustment has led to the annual colour licence fee rising to £174.50, while the black-and-white licence fee now stands at £58.50 per annum.

Future increases in the licence fee will be linked to CPI inflation for the next four years, concluding in 2027.

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Sarah typically works on Christmas Day. She has devoted countless Christmases to caring for newborns on the same emergency neonatal unit where her own baby was born prematurely this year

This is the heartwarming moment Sarah Alcock found out that her husband had nominated her for a once-in-a-lifetime holiday.

Christmas for the 35-year-old doesn’t tend to be spent tucking into a roast, opening presents and relaxing with the family.

In fact, Sarah typically works on Christmas Day. The Oakwood, Derby mum has missed out on many a festive day at home due to work nursing shifts at Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, where her own baby was born prematurely this year.

Born at just 25 weeks, weighing 1lb 12oz, the eight-month-old will be celebrating her first Christmas this year, but with staffing pressures mounting, she has volunteered to step in again to help her fellow colleagues out.

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Her husband, Dave, a marketing manager, from Oakwood, Derby, wanted to recognise how hard Sarah works, so he nominated her to win a break with easyJet.

“She’s a hero. Her work doesn’t stop just because it’s Christmas, so she has to go there regardless of the date,” he explained.

Alongside Sarah, NHS nurse Nicky Starkowitz and care home manager Niccii Gillett, who also selflessly work every Christmas, were gifted holidays as part of a campaign by tour operator easyJet Holidays to recognise the UK’s hidden heroes.

Nicky faced a breast cancer diagnosis in August this year and tragically, her four-year-old son Raffi was also diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain cancer in March. Her husband Neil said: “With everything going on this year we haven’t managed to get away or get the opportunity to do anything as a family together.”

Nicky added that “just to go away somewhere, as a family, and have time away together would be so nice”.

The holidays are a special easyJet Holidays escape, to give recognised key workers quality time with friends and family in the sunshine. They have been gifted to Christmas heroes after new research by easyJet Holidays found over 10 million Brits will be spending time apart from their families due to work commitments this year.

Nearly a third (28%) of key workers also feel that they haven’t taken a proper break in the past year, with nearly a quarter (22%) not likely to have a choice over whether they can work on Christmas Day or not.

Matt Callaghan, Chief Operating Officer at easyJet Holidays, said: “At Christmas especially, we’re reminded how many people quietly put others first, often sacrificing precious time with their own families. Our key workers do this year after year, and our communities simply wouldn’t function without them.

“This is easyJet holidays’ way of saying thank you – giving a few of these Christmas heroes the chance to properly step away, rest, and spend quality time together, whether that’s in the sunshine or exploring a new city. It’s about recognising the people who give so much, especially at this time of year.”

The easyJet Holidays poll uncovered the professions we feel most grateful for at Christmas, with nurses, paramedics, care workers and delivery drivers among them.

Just under a quarter (23%) of Brits say they leave out a gift for the postal workers at Christmas, while over a fifth (22%) say they do the same for binmen.

Six in ten also say Christmas makes them feel more generous towards others, with 51% saying they compliment others more during the festive period, while more than three in ten (31%) check in with their neighbours.

Top 10 professions Brits feel most grateful for at Christmas:

1. Nurses (46%)
2. Paramedics (39%)
3. Doctors (38%)
4. Care workers (29%)
5. Firefighters (27%)
6. Police officers (23%)
7. Delivery drivers (22%)
8. Retail staff (20%)
9. Postal workers (17%)
10. Hospitality (16%)