§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the television licence(a) schemes and (b) fees that are available to retired people. [125984]
§ Mr. Chris SmithUnder the Accommodation for Residential Care concessionary licence scheme, pensioners and disabled people living in residential homes and in qualifying sheltered accommodation are entitled to a £5 television licence. In order to qualify for the concessionary scheme, sheltered accommodation must.
- (a) form part of a group of at least four dwellings within a common and exclusive boundary (though up to 25 per cent. of units in a scheme can be properties purchased under the 'right to buy' legislation);
- (b) be specially provided for occupation by disabled people or retired people aged 60 years or over.
- (c) be provided or managed by a local authority, a housing association or a development corporation; and
- (d) have a person (e.g. a warden) whose function is to care for the needs of the residents and who either lives on site or works there for at least 30 hours a week.
Approximately 650,000 people qualify for the £5 concessionary licence. From November this year, people aged 75 or over will be entitled to a free television licence. Approximately 3.5 million households will benefit from this concession.
§ Mr. HurstTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who will be eligible for the concessionary free television licence. [127611]
§ Janet AndersonEveryone aged 75 or over will be eligible for a free television licence from 1 November this year, but television licences cover households rather than individuals. Approximately 3.5 million households will benefit from the concession.