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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Paul Speed

You could get full £159 back on your TV licence fee by following these simple steps

How would you like to get a full £159 refund on your TV licence fee?

With the cost of living crisis continuing to hit us in our pockets, any money-saving tip is more than welcome these days.

But if you want to be reimbursed, there are of course certain criteria you have to meet.

TV licences are required in the UK to watch any live broadcasting, or lived-streamed content such as BBC iPlayer.

The annual fee is managed by TV Licensing, but the government is responsible for applying any discounts.

A colour TV licence currently sets each household back £159, which covers all devices, while a black and white TV licence costs half that, with the blind getting a 50 per cent saving.

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So how do you go about getting the full £159 back?

You can apply for a refund on your TV licence if you no longer need it again before its expiration date.

To do this, each household needs to have at least one full month remaining on the licence if they want to claim.

But that's not all, you can also apply to be reimbursed if your licence expired less than two years ago.

A colour TV licence currently sets each household back £159 (PA)

Refund forms can be found online through the TV Licensing website, which has a clear step-by-step guide for anyone worried about filling in the application.

Anyone seeking a refund doesn’t need to fret about calculating exactly how much they are entitled to, as TV Licensing will work it out for you.

The application will ask you for the name on the TV licence, the licence number, address and postcode.

You will also need to include the date from when the licence is no longer needed.

If ineligible for a refund, a viewer can still terminate their licence online via the website.

Anyone moving house is told to simply shift their licence to their new address, and not to request any refund.

Simple and straightforward advice

Advice on how to obtain a refund on the TV Licensing website is pretty straightforward.

It states: “You can request a refund for your TV Licence if you won’t need your licence again before it expires, and you have at least one complete month left on it or your licence expired less than two years ago.

“If you’re eligible for an over 75 or blind concession, you can apply at any time and for any length of time left on your licence.

“Working out precise refund amounts can be complicated. But we will do it for you.

“We’ll look carefully at the information you give us and let you know if we can offer you a refund, and how much it will be.”

Earlier this year, the Government imposed a two-year freeze on the licence fee as it looks into other ways to fund the BBC.

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