TV and telephone costs
Key information
You may be able to get help with TV and telephone
costs if you have a disability.
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland
Index
You can read through this information sheet, or go directly to
the sections you want to read by clicking on these links:
TV costs
Television licence
If you are registered blind with your local authority, you
qualify for a 50% reduction in the cost of your television
licence.
For more details, contact TV Licensing (link opens in a new
window) on: 0844 800 5870.
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Help when they switch your television over to digital
All television services in the UK are being switched over
from analogue to digital. It is happening region by region - some
regions are already switched over and others are due to change in
2012. If you do not already have digital television, you will need
to convert your television equipment.
You can get help with this if you or your partner are registered
blind or as partially-sighted, or get Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance or certain other disability
benefits. You can also get help if you have lived in a care home
for at least six months.
You have to pay £40 towards the help unless you get benefits
like Pension Credit or Income Support. In these cases, the help is
free.
For more information, you can phone: 0845 6 50 50 50.
See the Digital UK website for more
information (link opens in a new window) and to check when
your region will be switching over.
See also the Age UK guide (link opens in a new window)
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Telephone
If you are registered as disabled, or if you get certain
disability-related benefits such as income-related Employment and Support
Allowance, you might qualify for the BT Basic
scheme.
This gives you a reduced price on your British Telecom (BT)
telephone line rental and an allowance of free calls. For more
details, go to the BT
website (link opens in a new window)
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This information has been produced by Citizens
Advice.
Last updated: 12 March 2012