Free TV Licence in UK

19POSTS

7 years ago

As a 77 year old living in NL and with a property in UK I consider myself eligible for a free TV licence for the UK property. However the TV licensing org says that free licences are not available for expats. I cannot find any legal basis for this exclusion. Has anyone else come across this problem?

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Cynic UK/Netherlands Expert

8103POSTS

7 years ago

It's you that is entitled to a free TV licence, not the property.聽 If you live in Holland and your UK property is empty, then you don't have to pay for the UK licence; you just tell them the house is empty ().聽 If you rent it out to someone or someone else is living there, then they have to pay their own TV Licence.聽 Unlike income tax, there is no double-taxation agreement in place that when you pay kijk en luistergeld in Holland, that you don't have to in England.

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

7 years ago

OP - Do you have an NI number?
If not, you can't get a free license.

Henry McGrath Member

19POSTS

7 years ago

I use the uk property from time to time so it's clear that I need a TV licence with my name on it.

Henry McGrath Member

19POSTS

7 years ago

Yes I have a N.I. number, but when I聽 submitted this number to TV licensing they said they could not find it in their database. The reason for this is that the DWP supplies the licensing org with a database which contains N.I. numbers only of people resident in the UK and this info is used to verify the age of the applicant for a licence. The DWP maintains a separate N.I. database for expats (the DWP will know if you are an expat if you receive the UK state pension because you are obliged to notify them of your address). The issue here, however, is not that the licensing org doubts my age but that the licensing org refuses to issue a free licence to an expat. I looked at the regulations (Communications Act of 2004) relating to free licences and found nothing excluding expat property owners.

Cynic UK/Netherlands Expert

8103POSTS

7 years ago

Then I suspect that the issue revolves around where you are regarded as "resident" and free UK TV licences being only available to residents of the UK - you have emigrated to Holland (hartelijk welkom) and no longer resident in the UK.聽 You can only be resident in one country at a time.聽 Another example is in Healthcare, as a non-resident Brit, you're no longer entitled to free healthcare under the NHS, you should use the EHIC issued by your Dutch health insurance provider.

TV licences are now paid for monthly by DD; assuming you still have a UK bank account, I suppose you could kind of pay as you go; just tell the TV licence people you are leaving the property and stop the DD when you leave - sounds a bit messy though.聽 You should also be aware that the BBC is currently consulting on stopping the free TV licence altogether; consensus is that it will stop soon, the BBC can't afford it anymore.

Henry McGrath Member

19POSTS

7 years ago

You may only be resident in one country at a time for tax purposes but this does not necessarily apply to everything else. I have finally been granted my free TV licence in the UK after submitting a copy of my UK council tax bill showing that I pay 100% council tax (rather than the 90% council tax which is normal for a second home). The reason I volunteered to pay 100% council tax is because that was a condition which allowed me and my wife to obtain a free bus pass for travel on all buses in England. It could be argued that our "free" bus passes actually cost us around 220 pounds per year but we find this worthwhile simply to avoid the bother of buying tickets.

Concerning free tv licences, anyone over here thinking of applying for one can avoid all the bother and waste of聽 time I experienced by doing the following.
1. With the application do not submit a national insurance number but instead submit a copy of a birth cert or passport.
2. When communicating with the licencing org do not use an email or other address indicating residence in NL