Treasury Minister Eddie Teare has rejected a backbencher’s call to revisit plans to end free TV licences for the over-75s.
The call was made in the House of Keys by Douglas North MHK John Houghton who pointed out that UK Premier David Cameron had promised to continue paying for free TV licences for the over 75s.
He claimed the elderly were already having to pay towards ‘other stealth charges’ which he said were now starting to take ‘serious effect’. ‘Would he reverse this policy?’ asked Mr Houghton - who as former chairman of the Water Authority introduced the much maligned toilet tax.
Mr Teare replied: ‘The short answer is “no”.
‘This commitment is fully in line with the objectives of the Agenda for Change which states the traditional universal services for all model is not sustainable and some services will be means-tested in the future.
‘Should a tax capped individual or higher rate taxpayers receive a free TV licence simply for being over 75 or should we target our scarce resources more appropriately? I feel the measures which we have taken are appropriate.’
Mr Teare suggested some pensioners were paying £60 a month for a full Sky Sports package - when the cost of a TV licence was about £14 a month.
Brenda Cannell (Douglas East) asked that the Minister do some more research on this.
She said: ‘I have not got one constituent over the age of 75 who can afford a full Sky package. I regard this a very mealy mouthed to remove this essential service.’
Mr Teare said there were some 4,000 households with at least one person aged 75 or over and ending free TV licences would save £600,000.
‘Do you want it spent on health or TV licences for those who can afford to pay them themselves?’ he asked.
The Minister pointed out that all pensioners on income support - not just those over 75 - will be eligible to receive a payment from social security for the full cost of their licence.
Plans to discontinue the automatic granting of free TV licence to the over 75s at the earliest possible date were included in this year’s Budget.