TV Licensing must stop prosecuting people in financial hardship during the cost-of-living crisis, says a growing group of more than 175,000
Press release – APPEAL and Silver Voices
A woman unfairly prosecuted for not paying her TV License has gathered strong public support this week for her campaign to end the prosecution of people who cannot afford to pay during the cost-of-living crisis.
Josiane, a lone parent in London who was struggling with household bills, was criminally prosecuted during the COVID-19 pandemic for not paying her TV License fee.
Knowing how frightened it made her feel, she became determined to help others in a similar position. She started a petition on change.org which this week amassed more than 175,000 signatures, making it one of the most popular on the platform.
Josiane is calling for TV Licensing to do their part in response the cost-of-living crisis by suspending prosecutions for the non-payment of the fee against those in financial hardship .
There were good reasons why Josiane was late with making the payments, but she was nevertheless threatened with a criminal penalty until the charity and law practice APPEAL intervened on her behalf, successfully arguing that the charges were not in the public interest. People are not normally legally represented as this offence doesn’t qualify for Legal Aid.
Last year TV Licensing brought criminal prosecutions against nearly 50,000 people for not paying their TV Licence. Before the pandemic, this number regularly exceeded 100,000 a year. Three quarters of those prosecuted are women, many are struggling financially or have other vulnerabilities.
Two not-for-profit organisations – Silver Voices and APPEAL – have called on TV Licensing to stop these pointless prosecutions during the cost-of-living crisis. They asked senior executives to suspend prosecutions or at the very least to amend their prosecution policies to ensure people in hardship are not targeted. They refused - but Josiane remains determined to make them listen.
Josiane says: “I am delighted that so many people support my campaign. I hope it will send a loud message to TV Licensing that it must act urgently to prevent more unnecessary suffering of people who cannot afford to pay the TV Licence fee”.
Naima Sakande, Deputy Director of APPEAL says: “Millions could be left destitute this winter due to extortionate energy prices and record inflation. There should be a concerted national effort to mitigate the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. Imagine scraping by on your energy bills only to be slapped with a criminal charge for failing to pay your TV licence. Poverty isn’t a crime. TV Licensing must do their part by ceasing to prosecute people who are in debt and financial hardship”.
Dennis Reed, Director of Silver Voices says: "Although they are not prosecuting the over 75s at the moment, TV Licensing continues to send a barrage of letters threatening fines to those who have been unable to pay, increasing stress when anxiety about energy costs is so extreme. Many of the millions of older people who rely on the state pension as their main source of income will be plunged into poverty this winter and forking out £159 for a TV licence will be impossible. Given a choice between food, warmth and the TV licence it is obvious what will fall by the wayside. Older people should not be criminalised for prioritising life saving measures. The least TV Licensing can do, especially as the future of the licence fee is under review, is to suspend prosecutions of vulnerable people until inflation falls."
Ends
Notes to Editors
· APPEAL is a law practice and charity that fights miscarriages of justice and demands reform.
· Silver Voices is a not-for-profit membership organisation for senior citizens in the UK.
· The petition is available here: www.change.org/tvlicensing.
· If you would like to request an interview with Josiane or APPEAL please contact Charlotte Threipland on charlotte@appeal.org.uk or 07786 937 718.
· If you would like to request an interview with Silver Voices please contact Dennis Reed on dennis.reed@silvervoices.co.ukor 07860 381 038
· For further information on APPEAL’s campaigning around this issue, see our website: https://appeal.org.uk/tv-licensing