Being 75 does not, by itself, get you a free TV licence. What does is Pension Credit — yours or your partner’s, at the same address — and that single condition is the one this page exists to make clear, alongside what everyone else now pays and how to apply either way.
Who gets a free TV licence at 75
The rule turns on Pension Credit, not on age alone. GOV.UK says you can get a free TV licence if you’re 75 or older and you either get Pension Credit yourself or live with your partner who gets it, and the licence then covers everyone living at that address (GOV.UK, Get a free or discounted TV licence, checked 1 November 2026).
Someone who is 75 and not receiving Pension Credit, and does not live with a partner who does, pays the same licence fee as any other household. Our Pension Credit guide sets out who qualifies and what it pays.
The 2026/27 fee for everyone else
Anyone without that Pension Credit link pays the standard fee, and it has gone up this year. The colour licence rose from £174.50 to £180 on 1 April 2026, and a black and white licence from £58.50 to £60.50 (Communications (Television Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, checked 1 November 2026).
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) says the rise follows the consumer price index measure of inflation (GOV.UK, Cost of TV licence fee set for 2026/27, checked 1 November 2026).
Two other discounts exist separately from the over-75 rule: a 50% reduction if you are registered blind or live with someone who is, with the licence in the blind person’s name, and a £7.50 licence for eligible residential care, supported housing or sheltered accommodation, for residents who are retired and over 60 or disabled (GOV.UK, Get a free or discounted TV licence, checked 1 November 2026).
How to apply, and applying at 74
You apply once Pension Credit is in place, and the licence can start before your 75th birthday if it already is. GOV.UK says you can apply for a free licence online, or by phone, and that if you already get Pension Credit you can apply at 74 (GOV.UK, Get a free or discounted TV licence, checked 1 November 2026).
Applying early means the free licence is ready to take over the moment you turn 75, rather than leaving a gap while an application is processed, though you still pay until the end of the month before your birthday. Phone applications go to TV Licensing on 0300 790 6071, or the Minicom line on 0300 709 6050 (GOV.UK, Get a free or discounted TV licence, checked 1 November 2026).
If your Pension Credit stops
GOV.UK does not publish what happens to an existing free licence if the Pension Credit behind it ends, and this page does not guess at a process it has not stated. What is confirmed is the underlying condition: the licence depends on receiving Pension Credit, so a change to it is worth checking.
If you are not on Pension Credit, check first
Before accepting the full £180 fee, it is worth checking Pension Credit itself, because the free licence is only one of several things it unlocks. Pension Credit tops up a low weekly income and, once awarded, also opens Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and NHS help alongside the licence (GOV.UK, Pension Credit, checked 1 November 2026).
Our Pension Credit guide covers eligibility and how to claim, and the gap estimator shows your income beside the qualifying floor before you apply for anything.