People can apply for a refund if they no longer need their licence, and there are seven main circumstances in which refunds are considered. It is essential, however, that you have at least one complete month left on your licence to get a refund, TV Licensing said.
The first circumstance is if the licence is no longer in use. The licence holder should not watch TV channels on any TV service, watch live TV on streaming services, or use BBC iPlayer. If the licence is needed again before the expiry date, then a refund will not be given. Another circumstance is if the address is covered by another licence. Someone at the address having already bought a licence means you don’t need to purchase another until it expires. The third circumstance is if the licence is bought in error. If the licence was bought in error as a result of advice given by TV Licensing, the customer can claim up to six years’ worth of refund. You can also get a refund if a different type of TV licence has been bought. For example, the licence holder moves to an address which is covered by an ARC concessionary TV Licence for persons who meet the relevant criteria.
In this category, refunds can be given with respect to unused months. If there is a delay in establishing eligibility for the replacement licence, the customer can claim up to two years’ worth of refund.
If a licence holder has a blind certificate issued by a local authority or ophthalmologist, but failed to claim the reduction for the blind concession when their current licence was bought, they can get a refund of up to half the licence fee.
Finally, upon the licence holder’s death, a refund may be claimed for any complete months left on the licence (as long as certain conditions are met) and may be paid to the estate of the licence holder.
Any refund due is calculated in unused months. You must have at least one complete month left on your licence that you won’t need before it expires. So you could get a refund for between one and 11 months, depending on how long you have left on your licence.
You won’t be eligible for a refund if there is less than one month between the cancellation date and the expiry date. If you haven’t paid for your licence in full, its expiry date may be changed to reflect what you’ve paid.
You can view your licence expiry date by signing in to your licence with your licence number, name on the licence and postcode. The refund form is available on the TV Licensing website.
