BBC TV licence fee slashed to £0 for people born in specific years
You need a TV licence if you watch or record live TV, or if you watch anything on BBC iPlayer - but state pensioners who are over the age of 75 and get Pension Credit don't have to pay for a TV licence
Anyone living in the UK who is over the age of 75 and claims Pension Credit can get a TV licence for free. This means anyone born in 1950 could become eligible for a free TV licence this year.
The price of a TV licence is now £174.50. You need a TV licence if you watch or record live TV, or if you watch anything - whether it is live, or catch-up - on BBC iPlayer.
You don't need a TV licence if you only watch shows on catch-up using streaming services that aren't BBC iPlayer. This includes Netflix, Amazon Prime, ITVX, Disney Plus, YouTube, All 4 or My5 - then you don't need a TV licence.
However, you would need a TV licence if you're tuning into live shows through these services. The penalty for watching TV without a licence is up to £1,000, or £2,000 in Guernsey.
Pension Credit - what you need to know
Pension Credit boosts your weekly income and, as well as a free TV licence for over-75s, also unlocks other financial help, such as free dental treatment and vouchers for glasses or contact lenses.
The average Pension Credit award is worth over £3,900 each year - but an estimated 800,000 people are missing out on this benefit.
The main part of Pension Credit is known as "Guarantee Credit" and this tops up your weekly income to £227.10 if you're single, or to £346.60 if you're in a couple.
Your income normally needs to be below these amounts to be eligible, but you might still be able to claim if you have a higher income and you have a severe disability, you're a carer, or you have to housing costs.
You can be entitled to extra amounts if you're a carer, severely disabled, or responsible for a child or young person. If you reached state pension age before April 6, 2016, or you have savings or a second pension, you may be eligible for the savings credit element of Pension Credit.
This is worth £17.30 a week if you're single, or £19.36 a week if you're in a couple. You can apply for Pension Credit on GOV.UK, by calling 0800 99 1234, or by printing out and filling in a paper application form.
You can apply up to 4 months before you reach state pension age. You will need the following information:
Your National Insurance number
Information about any income, savings and investments you have
Information about your income, savings and investments on the date you want to backdate your application to (usually three months ago or the date you reached state pension age)
Your bank, building society or credit union account details
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