BBC bosses sent “bullying” letters to pensioners threatening to call on Christmas Day if they have no TV licence, according to the Sun newspaper.

BBC threatens UK households with visits on Christmas Day to check TV licence

by · Birmingham Live

BBC bosses have threatened pensioners with visits on Christmas Day to check their TV licence. BBC bosses sent “bullying” letters to pensioners threatening to call on Christmas Day if they have no TV licence, according to the Sun newspaper.

A campaign group has accused the corporation of using “thuggish" tactics. The notice, which threatens a £1,000 fine and legal costs, reads: “Will you be in on December 25? As there’s no record of a TV licence at your address, you should expect a visit from an enforcement officer.

“It may be on December 25 or another day. You could be prosecuted if you are caught watching, recording or downloading programmes illegally. Our officers visit an address every 10 seconds. And if no one answers, they can come back.”

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Dennis Reed, of over-60s campaign group Silver Voices, said: “Such threatening behaviour is thuggish. It’s an underhanded, desperate attempt to try to ­pressure older and vulnerable people into paying. To specify Christmas Day of all days is astonishing.

"Clearly they won’t be calling on December 25.” A TV Licensing spokesman said the letters were sent in error. He said: “We apologise to anyone who received one. There will be no visits on Christmas Day.” The BBC has said that in real terms the corporation’s licence fee funding has fallen by 30% over the past decade.

The government also said it is expanding the simple payment plan (SPP), which was set up to help struggling households pay their licence fee in instalments across a year, which it says will make 9,000 unlicensed homes eligible.

At present, unlicensed households are only eligible for the plan if they met certain criteria set out in legislation, such as having been visited by TV Licensing or sought advice from a debt advice charity. A BBC spokesperson added: “We also look forward to the debate about the future and working with the government to ensure sustainable, long-term public funding”.