A pensioner has been slapped with a criminal record after “failing to buy a TV licence”, signing up to a Sky package and “watching Coronation Street.”
The BBC announced increased support for people in “financial difficulty” to pay for the TV licence fee in May in a bid to cut the number of women prosecuted for licence fee evasion.
It came after a BBC gender disparity review was established to work out why 75 percent of those prosecuted are women.
But according to Evening Standard court reporter Tristan Kirk the prosecutions “keep coming”.
Mr Kirk took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to reveal how a woman from Newcastle had been in her home for two weeks and hadn’t got round to getting a TV licence.
He shared a screenshot of a note reportedly written by the 71-year-old which read: “I have recently been struggling financially and as a result am [receiving] advice from Citizens Advice.
“If I am served with a fine, I am happy to get a TV licence for my property and repay my debt via deductions from my benefits.”
Mr Kirk wrote on X: “That retired woman had signed up to a Sky TV package and watched Coronation Street. TV Licensing says she was written to with an offer of an out-of-court disposal, but didn’t take it up.
“She now has a criminal conviction, an £80 fine, £120 costs, and a £32 surcharge to pay.”
The court reporter went on to share comments from those caught without a TV licence, describing them as “often rather sad”.
Mr Kirk goes on to list some of the reported views, including: “I’m struggling financially”; “I was set up on a direct debit but get my money every 4 weeks so it was no use to me”; “My health is upside down”.
He wrote: “All comments from pensioners. Is criminal prosecution the answer in these cases?”
The BBC has been approached for comment.
