Thousands of UK households could be owed BBC TV licence refunds – check if you're eligible

Thousands of households may be eligible for a refund on their TV licence.

Those who may qualify include people over a certain age, residents in care homes, and anyone who has moved into a property that already has a licence in place.

A licence is legally required in the UK to watch or record live television, or to stream programmes on BBC iPlayer.

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The rule covers all devices, including laptops, tablets and mobile phones. In April, the cost of the licence rose by £5 to £174.50, in line with inflation.

Viewers do not need a licence if they only watch catch-up shows on services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, ITVX, Disney Plus, YouTube, All4 and My5.

However, anyone streaming live broadcasts on those platforms still needs a valid licence.

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In June, father Lee Stuart successfully challenged TV Licensing in court after cancelling his licence in order to watch only streaming services.

He told an inspector he no longer needed one, but was taken to court regardless – and won. Those who cancel their licence may be entitled to a refund if at least one month remains before expiry.

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Refunds are also available for those eligible for concessions, such as people over 75 and those who are blind.

TV Licensing warns that anyone caught watching live TV without a licence could face a fine of up to £1,000.

Households who do not need one must declare this on the TV Licensing website. The licence can be paid monthly, quarterly or annually.

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