Friday 29 July 2016
Free TV Licences for Guernsey and Alderney residents over 75 will be closed to new entrants from 1 September 2016.
Over 75s who are already eligible for a free licence will continue to receive one each year. Additionally, anyone over 65 who receives supplementary benefit will continue to receive a free licence.
But anyone who reaches 75 after 31 August this year, and who is not on supplementary benefit, will need to continue paying for a TV licence.
The change comes after the States resolved at its October 2015 meeting that it would close the free TV licence scheme to new entrants as soon as possible after 1st January 2016.
The Offices of the Committee for Employment & Social Security and Policy & Resources Committee have been liaising with the relevant UK authorities in order to implement this policy change, which will now take effect on 1 September 2016.
The President of the Committee for Employment and Social Security, Deputy Michelle Le Clerc, said:
'The States agreed that there should be an end to the universal benefit of free TV Licences funded by the States. The ending of the concession for people newly reaching the age of 75 has now been achieved, while also ensuring that pensioners on supplementary benefit are still able to benefit from assistance.'
