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Pensioners ready to protest against ‘uncertain future’

HUNDREDS of pensioners across the country will be protesting today over the uncertain future of the free TV licence for over-75s.

The National Pensioners Convention (NPC) has planned more than 20 protests in response to the BBC’s announcement last Monday that it would be means-testing the concessionary TV licence from June 2020.

Under the plans, around 3.7 million older people would be forced to pay for their licence in the future and an estimated 1.3m would be eligible but are unlikely to claim, the NPC said.

The broadcaster has yet to give any details as to how the scheme would operate.

NPC general secretary Jan Shortt said: “This is a monumental miscalculation by the broadcaster — and their decision to means-test the TV licence is probably the least fair they could have chosen.

“Why on Earth do they want to start deciding whether or not someone is poor enough to qualify for a free licence? That’s not their job and they should be telling ministers that.

“Pensioner poverty is on the rise, loneliness among the older population is becoming more and more serious and even a number of celebrities have spoken out against what’s being proposed.

“It’s time the BBC had a rethink and started discussing with the government a better deal. The BBC makes programmes, it doesn’t administer benefits.”

Protests will take place tody in Blackburn, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Dunstable, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Nottingham, Norwich, Oxford, Salford, Sheffield, Southampton, Stoke, and Suffolk.

A protest in Belfast will take place on June 25.

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