TV Licensing

Licences facts and figures

Licences in Force

How many TV Licences are in force in the UK?

TV Licensing reports on the number of TV licences ‘in force’ following the end of each month, as the exact number of licences in force fluctuates on a daily basis and monthly basis. Reasons for this include the purchase of new licences, cancellation by TV Licensing as a result of payment failure and cancellation by customers themselves for a variety of reasons such as moving house, or a delayed licence renewal where a licence expires and is renewed in a different month.

UK total number of licences in force in 2022/23*

	No. of licences in force
April 2022	24,793,470
May 2022	24,768,650
June 2022	24,745,990
July 2022	24,699,170
August 2022	24,413,780
September 2022	24,448,170
October 2022	24,435,530
November 2022	24,442,920
December 2022	24,411,250
January 2023	24,401,120
February 2023	24,381,740
March 2023	24,373,130

An address may require more than one licence (e.g. student accommodation). Therefore, it is the number of licences is shown here, rather than the number of addresses with a licence. The number of households and business premises with TV Licences cannot be readily extracted from the total number of licences in force, because such information is not specifically recorded for each licence.

*These figures are approximations of the number of licences in force and have been rounded to the nearest ten.

How many households in the UK have a TV?

The Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB) provides data on TV households and on households using non-TV devices to watch television. Adjustments are then made to this data to identify those households that need a licence. As at March 2023, statistics show that around 91.5% of UK households may be licensable.

How many premises hold more than one Licence?

As at 31 March 2023, 246,530* addresses were recorded on the TV Licensing database as being issued with more than one TV Licence. There are instances where it is legitimate to have more than one licence at an address, e.g. for student accommodation. In other cases, an address may temporarily be recorded as having more than one licence due to licence payers moving premises.

*Figures have been rounded to the nearest ten.

How many black and white (mono) TV Licences in force were there in 2022/23?

As at 31 March 2023, 4,000* black and white (mono) TV Licences were in force.

*Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.

Can I have a list of the addresses at [X] locality without a TV Licence?

The BBC is not able to release personal data about other people (including names or addresses) as to do so would breach the data protection law. Information is collected and held for the purpose of administering the TV licensing system, not for other unrelated purposes.

How many TV Licences have been issued to the BBC?

The majority of BBC locations are covered by what is known as a ‘multi-licence’ which is a licence designed for large organisations with multiple sites. In the financial year 2022/23, 113 licences were purchased under the BBC multi-licence.

Information for licences held by the BBC’s commercial subsidiaries, such as BBC Studios, is not included in these figures because it is not subject to the FOI Act.

How many TV Licences have been cancelled?

TV Licensing cancellations data* is reported on a monthly basis and relates to licences in force where the licence has been cancelled by TV Licensing as a result of payment failure and by customers themselves. Consequently, these figures cannot be taken to mean solely the number of licences cancelled by customers.

The number of cancelled licences in force each month in the 2022/23 financial year is shown below.

* TV Licensing management information terms some cancellations as expired, depending on the circumstances of the cancellation, and these are not reported as cancelled licences.

Additionally, figures may be re-stated following end of financial year audits and therefore figures released previously under the Freedom of Information Act are subject to revision.

UK total number of cancelled licences in force in 2022/23*

	No. of licences in force
April 2022	69,860
May 2022	76,240
June 2022	75,770
July 2022	77,770
August 2022	91,640
September 2022	84,130
October 2022	79,380
November 2022	75,930
December 2022	68,530
January 2023	77,030
February 2023	70,460
March 2023	80,480

*Figures have been rounded to the nearest ten.

Concessions

Who decides which groups get a concession on the licence fee?

The TV Licence fee – including concessions and payment amounts – is prescribed by Parliament under the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 (opens in a new window) (as amended). The BBC is not responsible for these matters. You may wish to contact the government agency responsible for broadcasting in the UK – the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (opens in a new window) – to raise any issues you may have about the legal framework for the licence fee. The Department’s address is 100 Parliament Street, London SW1A 2BQ.

We recognise that some people may have difficulty paying for their TV Licence in one lump sum. A cash payment plan is available to allow for paying the licence fee in manageable instalments. Payments (by cash, debit or credit card) may be for as little as £6.50 a week.

People can also save towards the payment of their next licence by using a TV Licensing savings card.

TV Licensing works closely with money advice groups and other stakeholders to ensure that information about flexible payment methods reaches those who might benefit from it.

Information on the types of concessions and how you can apply for them can be found below:

• People who are aged 75 or over and receive Pension Credit
• People who are blind (severely sight impaired)
• People who live in qualifying residential care homes and are disabled or over 60
• Businesses that provide units of overnight accommodation (e.g. a hotel)

Are BBC staff eligible for a reduced licence fee or free TV Licences?

BBC staff are not eligible for a reduced licence fee or a free TV Licence by virtue of the fact they work for the BBC.

BBC staff are eligible for concessions just like anyone else. Blind (severely sight-impaired) persons are eligible for a 50% concession on the licence fee, and persons aged 75 years or older who receive Pension Credit. The BBC doesn’t retain a list of staff members who receive concessions on their licence.

Who is eligible for a free TV Licence?

Anyone aged 75 or over who receives Pension Credit will still be eligible for a free TV Licence which the BBC will pay for. Households where there is no one aged 75 or over that receives Pension Credit will need to buy a licence if one is needed.

How many people each year reach 75 years old and become eligible for a free over 75 TV Licence?

The BBC doesn’t hold information on the number of people each year who reach 75 years old and become eligible for a free TV Licence. These figures may be available from the Department for Work and Pensions (opens in a new window).

How many BBC funded TV Licences are in force?

As at the end of March 2023, there were 947,000 BBC funded TV Licences in force. These relate primarily to free licences issued to anyone over 75 who receives Pension Credit. Licence holders who are over 75 and resident in an accommodation for residential care (ARC) scheme or an ARC scheme with Preserved Rights are also eligible for a free licence. For the Crown Dependencies, equivalent arrangements were put in place, starting from 1 January 2021, based on local benefits. This also includes coverage provided by the General Notice published in July 2020 as part of the transition to the new over 75 policy arrangements.

This information is also available in the BBC Annual Report and Accounts.