Elderly residents face new TV licence bill

9:44am Thursday 29th December 2005

Comments (0)   Have your say »

RESIDENTS living in sheltered accommodation could find themselves having to fork out more than £120 extra for a television licence because of the council's decision to withdraw wardens from the schemes.

Currently, each tenant who is under 75 and living in south Wiltshire's 22 sheltered housing schemes is entitled to a discounted television licence at £5 a year.

However, the special rate only applies if a warden is on site for at least 30 hours a week. Salisbury district council controversially moved the wardens off site and replaced them with mobile' housing support officers which means that new residents will lose their discount and have to pay £126.50 for a television licence.

John Dear, who has campaigned to keep the onsite wardens, said "What we understand is that all new residents who are aged under 75 and move to the schemes will have to pay for their licences.

"I think this is discrimination. Older people have enough financial pressures and this is just one more.

"I don't think the council has even thought about this impact on people in the sheltered housing schemes."

The decision to remove on-site wardens from schemes caused outrage among many of the 549 tenants, who say they relied on their warden as a point of contact in emergencies, as well as for social opportunities and help with problems.

"There is no one to help with things like this we have just been left to get on with it," said Mr Dear.

"It's just another illustration of how they took the sheltered aspect out of sheltered housing."

A spokeswoman for Salisbury district council said the council was simply "following television licensing rules" and would be unable to comment future. The Television Licensing authority confirmed that residents of sheltered schemes were only entitled to the discount if wardens were present for at least 30 hours a week.

A spokesman said: "The conditions are set by the government and we ensure that everyone who needs a licence has one."