TV Licence
TV Licence payments
You need a TV Licence if you are watching or recording any TV programme.
Certain groups of people can get help with meeting the cost of their TV licence. Who can get help, how much they can get and how to get it is explained below.
There are special arrangements for people who live in sheltered housing or in a care home.
If you have any questions regarding you TV licence please call the Income Support (Pensioners) Unit on +44 1624 687020 or email ISP@gov.im or ask at a Social Security office or any Post Office.
People aged 75 or over
People aged 75 or over living in the Island are no longer eligible for free TV licences from the BBC.
However from 1 December 2016 if you or your partner are aged 75 or over you can get a TV licence payment from Social Security covering the full cost of your TV licence. It doesn’t matter how much money you have coming in, how much you have in savings or who else lives with you. The TV licence must be in either your name or your partner’s name and must be for your home address.
By 'partner' we mean your wife, husband, civil partner or a person you live with as if you are married or are in a civil partnership.
If you have paid for your TV licence since 1 September 2016 (when the BBC stopped issuing free TV licences) you can get a TV licence payment for the full cost of that licence.
How and when to make a claim for a TV licence payment is explained below.
People aged 74 when they pay for their TV licence who do not get Income Support
If you or your partner are aged 74 when you pay for your licence you can get a reduced TV licence payment if the period of the TV licence extends beyond your or your partner’s 75th birthday. It doesn’t matter how much money you have coming in, how much you have in savings or who else lives with you. The TV licence must be in either your name or your partner’s name and must be for your home address.
By 'partner' we mean your wife, husband, civil partner or a person you live with as if you are married or are in a civil partnership.
The amount of the TV licence payment will be equivalent to the value of your licence only for the number of weeks from your or your partner’s 75th birthday to the date on which the licence expires. So, for example if you are aged 74 years and 26 weeks at the date your licence was due for renewal, the amount of the TV licence payment you can get would be equal to one half of the cost of your licence.
How and when to make a claim for a TV licence payment is explained below.
People who have reached state pension age, but are under 75, who are getting Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
You can also get a TV licence payment if:
- you or your partner have reached state pension age, but not age 75.
- you or your partner are getting Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
By 'partner' we mean your wife, husband, civil partner or a person you live with as if you are married or are in a civil partnership.
The TV licence must be in either your name or your partner’s name and must be for your home address.
How and when to make a claim for a TV licence payment is explained below.
How and when you should claim a TV licence payment
You can claim a TV licence payment at any time in the 3-month period beginning 1 month before the date your TV licence is due for renewal and ending 2 months after the renewal date. For example, if your licence is due for renewal on 1 January 2017 you can claim your TV licence payment any time between 1 December 2016 and 28 February 2017.
But if you don’t claim your TV licence payment in the normal 3-month period you may still qualify for a TV licence payment if you had good reason for making your claim late.
You can download a claim form from this webpage or get one from a Social Security office or any post office.
You don’t have to pay for your TV licence before you can get a TV licence payment. You can claim a TV licence payment by sending your TV licence renewal notice to us with your completed claim form.
Or if you have already paid for your TV licence, send us your new licence with your completed claim form.
Take or send your claim form to - TV Licence Payments, Markwell House, Market Street, Douglas IM1 2RZ. Or you can take it to any post office.
You will need to claim a TV licence payment each year within the 3-month period described above.
How to pay your TV licence
Information about ways to pay for a TV licence. You can call into your local post office.
People who live in sheltered housing or in a care home – ARC Concessionary TV licence payments
If you are the provider of sheltered accommodation or manager of a care home you can get an ARC Concessionary TV licence payment for each of the dwellings or units of accommodation specified in the ARC Concessionary TV licence issued to you in which an 'eligible resident' is living.
An 'eligible resident' is a person who (or whose partner):
- is aged 75 or over
- has reached state pension age, but not age 75, and who is getting Income Support.
You can claim an ARC Concessionary TV licence payment at any time in the 3-month period beginning on the date your TV licence is due for renewal. For example, if your licence is due for renewal on 1 June 2017 you can claim your ARC Concessionary TV licence payment at any time between 1 June 2017 and 30 September 2017.
However, if your licence is due for renewal between 1 September 1996 and 30 April 2017 you can claim your ARC Concessionary TV licence payment at any time between 1 May 2017 and 31 July 2017.
But if you don’t claim your TV licence payment in the normal 3-month period you may still qualify for a TV licence payment if you had good reason for making your claim late.
