A betrayal if D-Day heroes have to pay TV licence fee – Yorkshire Post letters

From: Michael Ellison, Knapping Hill, Harrogate.

EARLIER this month I was pleased with the BBC coverage of the D-Day 75th anniversary ceremonies on both June 5 and 6.

During these programmes, surviving veterans were interviewed about their recollections of the events that took place in June 1944.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Now that the BBC has decided to scrap the entitlement of all persons over 75 years of age to a free TV licence, these same veterans will now be expected to resume paying a licence to legally watch their televisions. As an acknowledgement of the actions by those that have survived the horrors of D-Day, I would suggest that the BBC review their decision and raise the age limit to 90, i.e. fix free licences for anybody born on or before June 6, 1929.

A man watches a Red Arrows display during the commemorations for the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings at Southsea Common in Portsmouth.A man watches a Red Arrows display during the commemorations for the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings at Southsea Common in Portsmouth.
A man watches a Red Arrows display during the commemorations for the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings at Southsea Common in Portsmouth.

For everybody born on June 7, 1929, or later, they would be subject to the proposed ‘means-tested’ procedure when applying for a free licence for over those aged over 75.

This suggestion is not in any self-interest as I am 68 years young.