Households could be eligible for a TV licence refund worth £159 – simple steps to claim | Personal Finance | Finance

Those who do not watch or record live TV, or stream BBC iPlayer, could be entitled to a TV licence refund worth up to £159.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues, any extra cash could be vital for families on low incomes feeling the squeeze.

People only need a TV licence in the UK to watch any programme that is being broadcast or streamed live.

It is needed to watch live content that is on streaming services, such as BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime.

Britons do not need a licence if they only watch Netflix and YouTube.

Britons can request a refund for their TV licence if they won’t need their licence again before it expires, and they have at least one complete month left on it.

They could also be eligible for a refund if the licence fee for them expired less than two years ago.

If someone is eligible for an over 75 or blind concession, they can apply at any time and for any length of time left on their licence.

Britons can apply for a refund up to 14 days before the date they no longer need the TV licence.

Any refund will be paid by cheque or a BACS transfer directly into your bank account.

Those interested can apply for a refund on their television licence if they will not need it again before its expiration date.

The amount someone is due in a refund will be worked out by TV Licensing, the organisation that issues TV licences.

They’ll look carefully at the information they have been given and let them know if they can offer them a refund, and how much it will be.

The refund form appears as an online application that those looking for a refund can fill in.

As part of the refund application, applicants should include the name on their TV licence, address, and postcode.

As well as this, applicants must also include the date from when they no longer need the licence within the application.

Their website states: “Any refund due is calculated in unused months. You must have at least one complete month left on your licence that you won’t need before it expires.

“So, you could get a refund for between one and 11 months, depending on how long you have left on your licence.

“You won’t be eligible for a refund if there is less than one month between the cancellation date and the expiry date.

“If you haven’t paid for your licence in full, its expiry date may be changed to reflect what you’ve paid.”

People can go to tvlicensing.co.uk to apply for a refund or backdated discount.

People may need to provide evidence that supports their refund request. The dates on the evidence must reflect the time they’re requesting the refund.