As is stands, only retirees claiming Pension Credit who are 75 or older can claim a free TV licence
All state pensioners could be eligible for a free TV licence under a new proposal, as thousands of Britons urged the Labour Government to take action.
A petition is urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves to scrap the licence fee once people reach retirement age in Britain.
In order to watch or stream live television programming, every household needs to pay the TV licence fee, which is currently £180 a year.
While some concessions are available, retirees are only exempt from the levy if they claim the means-tested benefit support Pension Credit from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The petition, created by Michael Thompson, has currently amassed more than 13,200 signatures and needs 100,000 to be debated in Parliament.
It states: "We want the Government to fund free TV licences for existing pensioners and those who reach the official retirement age. When people reach retirement age, we think they should receive a state-financed free TV licence.
"Many pensioners live on the breadline with only the TV for company. With the cost of food soaring and utility bills ever higher, we feel there is a desperate need to provide all pensioners with at least this concession.
"We feel it is a double outrage that those who have given their all to this country in taxes and raising children have to pay a TV licence fee and are only exempt if they receive means-tested Pension Credit. Meanwhile, some media figures draw huge salaries."
Here is a full breakdown of who currently qualifies for a free or discounted licence:
