The TV Licence fee could also rise by £7
James Rodger Content Editor
12:03, 12 Nov 2025Updated 09:36, 13 Nov 2025
UK households handed £174 TV Licence refunds after BBC resignations
Households can get £174 refunds from TV Licensing, they have been reminded. Approximately 300,000 households cancelled their television licences last year, choosing streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime instead.
These households will receive refunds of up to £174 from TV Licensing. Recent reports have suggested the TV licence fee could rise from £174.50 to around £181, based on September’s inflation rate of 3.8 per cent. However, the Department for Media, Culture and Sport has clarified that no final decision has been made on next year’s licence fee, and any official announcement will be made in due course.
This represents an increase of nearly £7 for households nationwide, with the final figure to be confirmed in the coming weeks. Those eligible for refunds include Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Pension Credit claimants, alongside discounts for blind people, care home residents, and those in shared accommodation.
A standard TV Licence costs £174.50. Most people pay in instalments via Direct Debit, from £14.54 monthly. Concessions and alternative licence types are also available.
The news comes amid the unexpected resignation of director general Tim Davie and BBC News head Deborah Turness.
Samir Shah acknowledged the BBC had mishandled an internal review of the issue but rejected accusations the corporation had suppressed stories or failed to tackle bias claims, stating these were “simply not true”.
David Yelland, who edited the Sun between 1998 and 2003 and now hosts a BBC podcast, described the departures as “a coup” on Radio 4’s Today programme. Ed Davey of the Liberal Democrats voiced his concerns on Monday, stating that it was in Britain’s national interest to protect the BBC from foreign interference.
“It should be extremely concerning to us all to see the President of the United States pressuring the BBC over its leadership and attacking its journalists as corrupt,” Davey penned.
“It should not be up to foreign powers to dictate where the British people get their news from. We must stand united to defend our democracy from foreign interference like this – even when it comes from a crucial ally.”
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