Overview

This bill aims to remove provisions from the Digital Economy Act 2017 that relate to TV licence fee concessions based on age. Essentially, it seeks to repeal existing legislation that provides specific discounts or exemptions from the TV licence fee for individuals based on their age.

Description

The Digital Economy Act 2017 (Amendment) Act 2021 repeals two specific sections of the Digital Economy Act 2017:

• Section 89: This section dealt with TV licence fee concessions based on age. The bill eliminates any age-related discounts or exemptions currently offered under this section.
• Section 118(3): This section dictated the commencement date of section 89. By repealing it, the bill ensures that section 89, and therefore any age-based concessions, are effectively removed.

The bill applies to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Government Spending

The impact on government spending is not explicitly stated in the bill text. However, removing age-related concessions is likely to increase government revenue from TV licence fees as more people will be required to pay the full amount. The exact financial impact would depend on the number of individuals previously benefiting from the age-based concessions.

Groups Affected

The groups most likely to be affected are:

• Older people: Those who previously received discounts or exemptions based on age will now likely be required to pay the full TV licence fee.
• Low-income households with older members: The removal of concessions could create a greater financial burden for households with older individuals.
• The TV Licensing Authority: This authority will experience an administrative change, as they will no longer need to process applications based on age.

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