TV licence

CO CO

Registered User
Jul 10, 2015
19
0
My mother does not watch TV at all and its never been on since her illness started in fact the thing may as well be a pot plant sitting in the corner for all she cares, anyway she paid for TV licence on a payment card once a month and stopped paying once she got ill and ended up in hospital and then residential car now she is home, the other day she received a letter from a debt collection agency connected to TV licence saying she owed back dated money so I phoned TV licence to cancel her TV licence payment card so her debt does not get bigger because I didn't realise that is what should have been done but they won't deal with me and told me to write a letter saying exactly what I was trying to explain over the phone?
Anyway this debt collectors will be hassling her well she does not read her letters anymore so me and just wondering what happens when a person with someone with diminished mental capacity debt collection firms if I can't get this sorted?
 

di65

Registered User
Feb 28, 2013
786
0
new zealand
If you have a POA in place, it should be easy, but otherwise life could be going to get a lot worse in this regard as things progress. I won't comment further as I am unsure of the UK laws around this.

TV and Radio licences in New Zealand were abolished many years ago - thank goodness:)
 

CO CO

Registered User
Jul 10, 2015
19
0
Thanks it's a rubbish licence they just assume people need a licence over here and even secure a search warrant from the court and turn up with the police to make sure you don't need one
 

Saffie

Registered User
Mar 26, 2011
22,513
0
Near Southampton
The TV licence people in the UK are a nightmare to deal with. They were the only people I had a problem with when changing accounts into my name from my husband's. They refused to do it despite sending then my Deputyship authority.
Then again in dealing with my having an over 75 licence because of course the licence was my husband'so name. This was despite the fact he was by then in a nursing home and had been entitled to one a year earlier which the home had arranged.
I just gave up in the end and decided to sort it out if they sued me!
They actually sent me a replacement for the one in my name this year.

I take it your mother is under 75 so is not entitled to a free licence.I would ask the CAB for advice. Then write or email the licensing people so you have a record, rather than waste time phoning again. I found that what was agreed on the phone was rarely carried through.
Best of luck, I'm afraid you might need it!
 

Countryboy

Registered User
Mar 17, 2005
1,680
0
South West
Nearly half a million iPlayer users avoid paying licence fee: Escape £145.50 charge by declaring they do not own a television set or see live shows

• Viewers escape annual charge by saying they do not watch live shows
• Last year 463,846 avoided annual charge by using iPlayer loophole
• Means BBC now has 1.9million registered as exempt from paying licence fee

When you don’t need a TV licence
You do not need a TV licence to catch-up on television programmes in BBC iPlayer.
When you do need a TV licence


You need a TV Licence if you watch or record programmes “live” programmes. That means watching or recording at the same time (or virtually the same time) as they’re being broadcast, or distributed to the public in any other way. In BBC iPlayer, you do this using the Watch Live (simulcast) option. Anyone in the UK watching or recording television as it's being broadcast or simulcast on any device – including mobiles, laptops and PCs – must, by law, be covered by a valid TV licence.
 

Saffie

Registered User
Mar 26, 2011
22,513
0
Near Southampton
I was assuming that you have disposed of your mother's TV set.
Otherwise, as Tony points out, there is no proof that she does not watch it.
 

CO CO

Registered User
Jul 10, 2015
19
0
I have not disposed of the TV set, I don't see why it's necessary, it's unplugged and to be fair it's innocent until proven guilty, my mother loved TV before she became ill and now she never bothers genuinely never bothers, we have old home movies that we could put on for her and she would miss out on them if we got rid.
When you think about it tho if you own a car and you notify dvla you intend not to use it they sorn your car without question and you don't have to pay duty on it, you don't have to get rid of it you can drive all you like on your own land, it's just if you take it out on roads it becomes a problem for you.
 

CO CO

Registered User
Jul 10, 2015
19
0
All I am asking is, if I do get rid of the TV set ( I don't see why I have to) and can provide evidence that she has not watched TV because it's been one of changes in her and recognised part of her diagnosis by the doctor who is treating her.
And they are the nightmare I believe them to be how far can they take a person with dementia,eg court for money she does not owe coming to the house with search warrants etc if they will not let me sort this out?
 

nita

Registered User
Dec 30, 2011
2,651
0
Essex
I found this on the TV Licensing site FAQs:-

You do not need a TV Licence if you only use your TV to watch videos and DVDs or as a monitor for your games console. If this is the case, please complete the online declaration form to tell us that you don't need a TV Licence. One of our Enforcement Officers may visit you to confirm your situation.

You could complete the online declaration form in your mother's name, providing your own email address. I know this is not strictly correct but gets round the problem of sending some form of authority to them.
 

Saffie

Registered User
Mar 26, 2011
22,513
0
Near Southampton
You need to cancel the existing licence before you make the declaration that you don't use it.
I think that is returning to the original problem as Co co has said that they won't discuss this with her.
Yes I agree that you can have a TV and just use it for other things. The difficulty will be proving it. If they still use detector vans then they won't pick up a signal so that will help.

Can your mother sign her name, Co co,'cos if so, just write a letter cancelling the licence and ask your mother to sign it.
If not, write anyway as I've already mentioned and enclose you LPA.
Regarding debt already6 owed, maybe a GP's letter might help.
Sorry, I don't know what else to suggest.
 

CO CO

Registered User
Jul 10, 2015
19
0
Enforcement officers!
Is that what they call the TV licence people it's like nazi type stuff!ENFORCEMENT !
That's scary, I hate being intimidated ha ha.
Thanks people for your help if anyone else knows more then please don hesitate, take care x
 

nita

Registered User
Dec 30, 2011
2,651
0
Essex
I think you can do it all online. Coco needs to look at the TV Licensing website.

How to cancel your licence without a refund
If you’re not eligible for a refund, you can still cancel your licence.
If you pay by Direct Debit, use our contact us (go to step 3 of the form) telling us the reason you’re cancelling your licence and confirming that you’re living at the same address.
Once you’ve cancelled your licence, make sure you cancel your Direct Debit with your bank.
If you pay with a TV Licensing payment card, please call us on 0300 555 0286.

Remember – if you don’t need a TV Licence, please tell us by completing our No Licence Needed Declaration. Once we’ve updated our records we won’t send you any letters for up to two years, unless we believe your circumstances have changed.
 

AlsoConfused

Registered User
Sep 17, 2010
1,952
0
I agree with the other advice. If TVLA are still unreasonable though would suggest you speak to your local MP. MPs are generally getting fed up about the behaviour of TVLA and your local MP may well be prepared to help.

I think you're assuming rather too much that the TVLA are able to do what they threaten they can do.

I 'phoned the local police HQ once to check what TVLA was actually authorised to do, given that I didn't believe the threats issued by the "person" standing on my doorstep. I don't have a TV, don't watch live TV and so I don't have a licence ... I don't think it's up to me to prove I'm innocent of an offence and resent being bullied.

The police told me anyone (private citizen or corporate organisation) can ask a magistrates court for a search warrant on anyone's property. The court wouldn't authorise such a search unless there was some evidence such a search was justified. In my case, there's no TV and the aerial I'd need to receive a TV transmission is visibly defunct. In your Mum's case, the issues aren't so clear cut because there is a TV set visible and you're simply claiming she doesn't use it.

Would getting a DVD receiver only (eg through Freecycle) and selling or Freecycling the TV remove the hassle?
 

arielsmelody

Registered User
Jul 16, 2015
515
0
I would think that if you want to keep the tv set you might have to get rid of the aerial - I don't think unplugging it from the mains would be enough. And I don't know if they would count her not watching it as being sufficient - it could be that she had visitors who would sit and watch the tv.

I think you need to write and explain everything, and hope they are sympathetic. But if she had the tv ready to use, and didn't ask them to cancel the licence, I would have thought that she does owe the money, and it might be easiest if she pays up to the point when they receive the no licence needed declaration.
 

Quilty

Registered User
Aug 28, 2014
1,050
0
GLASGOW
With figital tv if you have no aerial you have no tv signal. Cut the cable or disconnect at source and you can still watch dvds etc.
 

nita

Registered User
Dec 30, 2011
2,651
0
Essex
We only got a TV three years ago. Prior to that we just used to fill in the forms regularly sent to us, saying we didn't have a TV and we were never bothered by enforcement officers.

When I started to watch the i-Player on my computer monitor, I was concerned about not having a licence and was told I didn't need one if I was just watching pre-recorded programmes.

I would go down the route of filling in the online cancellation and notification of no TV and hopefully no one will call. Could you move the TV into a corner and cover it so that if someone did come it would be obvious it wasn't watched? Perhaps place the DVDs on top as proof that these were all that were viewed on it.
 

tryingmybest

Registered User
May 22, 2015
638
0
Im so sorry you are having this ridiculous hassle. Dependent on her age she would qualify for a free tv license anyway. When my mum moved in with me I transferred the licence into her name and so I don't have to pay for one now. Every little helps as they say!! I cant work anymore looking after mum 24/7 so am just living on my carers allowance so obviously took advantage of this one!!! I hope you can get this sorted. X