TV LICENCES FOR OVER-75s

That this House notes that maintaining free TV licences for over-75s was a 2017 Conservative manifesto commitment; acknowledges that 2.2 million over-75s live alone and that paying the licence fee could push 50,000 pensioners below the poverty line; acknowledges that 4 million households will be affected if the concession is ended, that 3 million will be impacted if the concession is linked to Pension Credit, and that 1.5 million househoIds would lose out if the qualifying age was raised to 80; welcomes the petition by Age UK on this issue; and calls on the Government to guarantee the maintenance of free TV licences for over-75s beyond 2020.