Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 3 November (HL9410), (1) whether they will now answer the question put, namely, which regulations set the frequency and amount of instalments by which TV licence fees can be paid; what are the prescribed (a) weekly, (b) monthly, and (c) quarterly, instalment amounts of such fees, and (2) whether there is any prohibition in the regulations governing the TV licence fee on the payment of the fee by cheque.

The regulations which set the frequency and amount of instalments by which TV licence fees can be paid are the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004. The Communications (Television Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 provided the amended instalment amounts for the period beginning 1 April 2020.

However, the actual frequency and amount of the instalments for a TV licence may be affected by the payment method chosen or the individual circumstances of the customer, such as the date of renewal or whether the customer had a period of unlicensed use before the renewal. Payments may also be affected if the customer is in the first year of their TV licence, which is often paid for over the first 6 months of the licence period, and in some cases must be paid for upfront.

The TV Licensing website sets out that licence fee instalment amounts for a weekly or fortnightly payment licence are set out in an individual payment plan when a customer signs up for a Payment Card: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/pay-for-your-tv-licence/ways-to-pay/payment-card.

The TV Licensing website also sets the monthly, quarterly and annual payment instalments for direct debit plans: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/pay-for-your-tv-licence/ways-to-pay/direct-debit.

For customers moving to the BBC’s 75+ payment plan, the BBC issued a general notice setting out the weekly, fortnightly or monthly instalment amounts which are payable: https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/reports/consultation/age-related-tv-licence-policy/general-notice

Certain customers can also pay for their TV licence in monthly or fortnightly instalments as part of the Simple Payment Plan, which is a payment instalment scheme specifically designed for people who struggle to pay the TV licence fee. These instalments can be found in the Communications (Television Licensing) (Amendment) (No.2) 2020.

There is no provision in the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 which prohibits the payment of the TV licence fee by cheque. However it is the BBC, not the government, that administers these schemes and is responsible for the collection and enforcement of the licence fee, including methods of payment. TV Licensing’s website explains that, at present, only annual licence fee payments can be made by cheque: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/pay-for-your-tv-licence/ways-to-pay/cheque-or-postal-order.