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BBC draws up plan to replace TV licence with household levy that could cut annual fee by £36

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

Around 2.5 million people who abandoned their licences after 2020 would be drawn back into paying under the BBC's proposed household levy.
Around 2.5 million people who abandoned their licences after 2020 would be drawn back into paying under the BBC's proposed household levy.

The maths holds up because the current base of 23.3 million licence payers is relatively narrow; replacing it with a charge applied to nearly every adult in the UK would spread the cost across a far larger pool. A BBC spokesperson cautioned that Brittin's figures are meant to demonstrate a principle rather than represent a confirmed price, and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has previously ruled out any new household tax, citing the cost of living crisis.

The 2.5 million households that cancelled licences since 2020 would be forced to pay again under any mandatory levy model.

Germany's equivalent system, the Rundfunkbeitrag, charges all adults over 18 a monthly fee regardless of whether they watch public broadcasting.

MoreiNewsInside the BBC’s plan to cut your licence fee by £36msn.comBBC TV licence rule change could cut people's fees by £36streamlinefeed.co.keBBC weighs household levy that could cut licence fee £36 - streamlinefeed.co.ke
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