THE BBC is pressing ahead with controversial plans to axe the free TV licence for millions of OAPs, it admitted yesterday.
The corporation’s boss Lord Hall said it was still preparing to scrap the freebie for over-75s from August.
It comes despite warnings that telly is a lifeline for many elderly Brits who are lonely in lockdown.
But Lord Hall said the corporation had already pushed back scrapping the free licence once because of the coronavirus crisis.
He said: “The board took the decisions to delay a few months ago. We are preparing for an August launch.
“However they made it clear at the time they would review the situation closer to the time.”
Lord Hall also defended licence-payers having to pick up the huge bill to pay for its channels.
He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “People in their droves – 94 per cent of the population of the UK – have turned to the BBC for either information, education or entertainment during this crisis. So the question is, ‘What’s the best way of funding that universally so that everybody, this great democratic idea, gets something we can all share?”
He added: “I hope that there will be a big debate about the best way of funding the BBC.”
Only over-75s on pension credit will continue to get the freebie from August.
About 3.7million households which previously got it will now have to pay.
