THE BBC is asking pensioners to supply them with their bank statements to prove that they cannot pay the licence fee placing the over-75s at risk of identity or fraud, campaigners have announced.
Caroline Abrahams director of Age UK said: “It will be extremely frustrating for older people to hear how potentially risky the process of applying for a free licence may be. Creating and sending copies of personal and sensitive financial material can expose older people to ID theft and fraud.” In response to the story, Conservative MP Esther McVey said: “Surely not?! Security alert.”
The news comes as the BBC ploy to charge the licence fee for over-75s floundered after the organisation’s website crashed when pensioners attempted to pay.
The pensioners who attempted to pay for their TV licence received a message that read, “temporarily unavailable while we update it for the changes to over-75s licences”.
Labour peer Lord Faulks of Cumnock called the latest “farcical”.
He added: “We said that this would be a logistical nightmare, and that has proved to be the case.
“This has also caused considerable worry for elderly people who are already worried about how they will pay for their licence.”
The organisation is now demanding to see pensioners bank statements in order to allow them to keep their free licences.
The £157.50 fee will only be exempt for people who are on pension credits.
Many pensioners are unaware that they could be exempt from paying for the licence.