A Simple Payment Plan to help people pay for their TV licence is available for households facing financial difficulty.
Spread the cost
People who qualify for the Simple Payment Plan can choose from either a fortnightly or monthly payment plan that spreads the cost of a TV Licence over 12 months.
This means you can make smaller payments more often, which can help when managing your finances.
Eligible
You are eligible for a Simple Payment Plan licence if you:
- have been visited by a TV Licensing Enquiry Officer to check if they need a licence.
- have previously held a licence that was cancelled within the last six months because of missed payments.
- are experiencing financial difficulties and are referred by a not-for-profit money advice organisation. We accept referrals from not-for-profit organisations such as charities or local authority money advice departments, but we cannot accept referrals from commercial organisations.
- have held a Simple Payment Plan licence within the previous 12 months.
Referrals
To use the Simple Payment Plan, you need to be referred by not-for-profit organisations such as charities or the Council’s money advice team.
Organisations that can refer you to us to join the Simple Payment Plan, include:
- Citizens Advice – visit your local Citizens Advice Bureau (you can find the address in the phone book).
- National Debtline – call 0808 808 4000 or go to their website for advice and information.
- StepChange Debt Charity (formerly the Consumer Credit Counselling Service) – call 0800 138 1111 or go to their website for debt advice.
- Credit Services Association – search for ‘credit services association’ in search engines for general help and advice on debt related matters.
- MoneyHelper – access to sources of free advice online or by telephone.
- Civil Legal Advice (CLA) – You may be able to get free and confidential advice from CLA as part of legal aid if you’re in England or Wales.
- The Insolvency Service – provides advice to the public on insolvency and redundancy.
- Christians Against Poverty – provides free debt counselling, call 0800 328 0006.
Payments
You can make Simple Payment Plan payments:
- over the counter at any PayPoint store.
- via the Simple Payment Plan website.
- via the TVL Pay app - search for ‘TVL Pay’ in the app store on your mobile and you can download the app for free.
- via a Paythru link sent to a smartphone via SMS.
- over the phone.
Direct Debit
Alternatively, payments can be taken from a bank account via a monthly Direct Debit or by setting up a Continuous Payment Authority (CPA), where payments are taken from a debit or credit card monthly or fortnightly.
If you are struggling to pay for your TV licence, you can find out more about other ways to pay at www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ171