Topic: TV Licence Fee

[muyuu]

It's the worst bill along with council tax, spending money on fuck all.

Taking the piss? Council tax pays for transport, highways, police, planning, fire, libraries, leisure and recreation, local parks maintenance, rubbish collection and disposal, environmental health including public space cleaning, trading standards and basically almost everything local. It pays more for services that affect you directly than any other tax. VAT and fuel add for the general budget, income tax is dedicated mostly to benefits, entitlements and social spending.

The TV licence fee does what it says in the tin, pays for the BBC and you can choose not to pay for it if you refuse the service.

So if you have a computer they can make you buy a TV Licence?

http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/tv/tvlicence

[Elmo!]

So if you have a computer they can make you buy a TV Licence?

No, but I think in theory if they could prove you had been using your computer to watch live television they could prosecute you.

[AndyMuller]

Council tax pays for police, fire, rubbish disposal, libraries, children's centres, etc.

But yeah, fuck all.

Has everyone gone Tory on here?

Wasn't it the Tories that brought council tax into play? Not being funny mate but I've never used the police or fire services, bins get emptied every two weeks when it used to be one and the council do fuck all in general to warrant a 150 pound council tax payment every month.

[muyuu]

Wasn't it the Tories that brought council tax into play? Not being funny mate but I've never used the police or fire services, bins get emptied every two weeks when it used to be one and the council do fuck all in general to warrant a 150 pound council tax payment every month.

So you think you wouldn't notice if there wasn't any police in your neighbourhood, just because you didn't get robbed?

Holy shit I heard it all.

[Pheeny]

Council tax is £150 per month?

Bloody hell I'm glad I don't live in the UK anymore...

[muyuu]

Council tax is £150 per month?

Bloody hell I'm glad I don't live in the UK anymore...

http://liverpool.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-bands/

In Liverpool, council tax ranges from ~£1K per year to ~£3.2K per year depending on the set value of your property.

[zero zero]

So you think you wouldn't notice if there wasn't any police in your neighbourhood, just because you didn't get robbed?

Holy shit I heard it all.

> Hello! Fire Service. My name is Tina. How can I help?
> Well, I can smell smoke and...
> I can see from our records that you've never used our service before
> My house had never burned down, so I didn't want to pay my council tax
> That's quite alright. Let me just take down your card details so we can give you a quote...

[Elmo!]

Wasn't it the Tories that brought council tax into play? Not being funny mate but I've never used the police or fire services, bins get emptied every two weeks when it used to be one and the council do fuck all in general to warrant a 150 pound council tax payment every month.

Council Tax only covers a small part of what the council spends every month, most of their money comes from central government funding.  They do a lot more than 150 pounds a month worth...

[Giovanni]

So, just about to buy a tv licence for the first time.

Tick the option to pay monthly. It then asks me to pay £29 a month for 5 months to pay the licence in full, then pay the first six months of the next year in advance. So effectively the fuckers are asking for £220 in the first year. Talk about a) discriminating against new licence payers and b) Taking the piss.

I've never fucking understood the legality of this.

I'm constantly 6 months in credit because of this - paid £20 odd a month for 6 months then straight away onto £12 a month every since.

When do I get that money back exactly?

[Red Beret]

No, but I think in theory if they could prove you had been using your computer to watch live television they could prosecute you.

From the website:

You need to be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record TV as it's being broadcast. This includes the use of devices such as a computer, laptop, mobile phone or DVD/video recorder.

[AndyMuller]

So you think you wouldn't notice if there wasn't any police in your neighbourhood, just because you didn't get robbed?

Holy shit I heard it all.

I've never used them, so I wouldn't notice if they are in my street or not. So I'm basically paying 150 for other people to use them? Plus my bins to be left for 2 weeks until they are emptied? You also said it pays for parks and recreational centres, take a look around here and parks are shitholes with no maintenance done whatsoever.

Still, its better than the 150 pound being in my own pocket I suppose, God bless council tax.

[Red Beret]

I've never used them, so I wouldn't notice if they are in my street or not. So I'm basically paying 150 for other people to use them? Plus my bins to be left for 2 weeks until they are emptied? You also said it pays for parks and recreational centres, take a look around here and parks are shitholes with no maintenance done whatsoever.

Still, its better than the 150 pound being in my own pocket I suppose, God bless council tax.

Yeah, in the same way you pay income tax for other people to receive disability payments.  God help us.

[muyuu]

I've never used them, so I wouldn't notice if they are in my street or not. So I'm basically paying 150 for other people to use them? Plus my bins to be left for 2 weeks until they are emptied? You also said it pays for parks and recreational centres, take a look around here and parks are shitholes with no maintenance done whatsoever.

Still, its better than the 150 pound being in my own pocket I suppose, God bless council tax.

You don't understand what would happen to your neighbourhood if there wasn't any police and criminals got aware of that?

I swear to God... are you serious about not wanting to contribute to your local police?

[Giovanni]

I've never used them, so I wouldn't notice if they are in my street or not. So I'm basically paying 150 for other people to use them? Plus my bins to be left for 2 weeks until they are emptied? You also said it pays for parks and recreational centres, take a look around here and parks are shitholes with no maintenance done whatsoever.

Still, its better than the 150 pound being in my own pocket I suppose, God bless council tax.

You wouldn't notice if there wasn't any police anymore?

hahahaha

[muyuu]

You wouldn't notice if there wasn't any police anymore?

hahahaha

The problem is that people thinking like this vote and their vote is worth as much as anyone's. The rest is history.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

The problem is that people thinking like this vote and their vote is worth as much as anyone's. The rest is history.

The 'I'm Alright Jack' brigade.

Totally selfish, ignorant of the world around them, and unwilling to commit to any policy which is for the greater good of the majority. 'I don't use the [insert here] so why should I pay for it?' - presumably they have no family members, friends, workmates etc. who have ever needed anything from anyone. Honestly, I think these people are thick as shit if they can't see how there might need to be things like a police force, fire brigade, NHS, national broadcaster, bin collections, public parks, etc. etc.

What with shit like this in the OT, and the whoppers on the main board, I think I might need to take from RAWK, it's more depressing than ever at the minute.

[Claire.]

I've never used them, so I wouldn't notice if they are in my street or not. So I'm basically paying 150 for other people to use them? Plus my bins to be left for 2 weeks until they are emptied? You also said it pays for parks and recreational centres, take a look around here and parks are shitholes with no maintenance done whatsoever.

Still, its better than the 150 pound being in my own pocket I suppose, God bless council tax.

I don't know where you live but the two parks we take the dog to regularly (Stanley and Walton Hall) are beautiful for the most part, and are maintained as well as any other I've been to I'd say.

As for not needing the Police, that's great for you personally but if they weren't there you'd be the first to moan about the burglaries, the assaults etc that would become all too frequent around your estate!

Our bins are weekly because we live in terraced housing but I can understand the frustration on 2 weekly collections, but you also have recycling bins too, so I'd argue if you managed your waste better you wouldn't notice it as much.

[muyuu]

The 'I'm Alright Jack' brigade.

Totally selfish, ignorant of the world around them, and unwilling to commit to any policy which is for the greater good of the majority. 'I don't use the [insert here] so why should I pay for it?' - presumably they have no family members, friends, workmates etc. who have ever needed anything from anyone. Honestly, I think these people are thick as shit if they can't see how there might need to be things like a police force, fire brigade, NHS, national broadcaster, bin collections, public parks, etc. etc.

What with shit like this in the OT, and the whoppers on the main board, I think I might need to take from RAWK, it's more depressing than ever at the minute.

Even from a selfish point of view, one surely doesn't want his area to go full Mad Max to save on THE WHOLE of police presence? I mean... it's a pretty radical statement that one, I don't even know any tories thinking like this. I'm hoping it's a pisstake.

[MOZ]

Council tax is £150 per month?

Bloody hell I'm glad I don't live in the UK anymore...

Me too, I pay €15 p/m

[Jake]

"I don't use the police so I'm not paying for them"

And yes it would be nice if bins were emptied more often but if you're creating that much landfill waste in a week that it needs to be taken away, maybe you should stop wasting so much?

[gregor]

Not being funny mate but I've never used the police or fire services

Fucking hell.

[Rob K]

Council tax is £150 per month?

Bloody hell I'm glad I don't live in the UK anymore...

Mine was 3 quid this month.

[AndyMuller]

From what I hear about the police there not up to much anyway, always late to crime scenes etc.

[SpartanTree. No deccies or lights.]

From what I hear about the police there not up to much anyway, always late to crime scenes etc.

Yeh - would much rather they turn up to a scene before the crime.
Would saves loads of aggro.

 

[gregor]

He's defo fishing I think.

[Elmo!]

He's defo fishing I think.

I hope so.

[idontknow]

So if you have a computer they can make you buy a TV Licence?

No.

If you watch tv on it - as it is broadcast, and that includes the slight delays on cable, satellite etc - then yes. For iplayer, no - for radio, anywhere, no.

Also, if you have tvs that you do not watch tv on, you do NOT need a license, you do NOT need to give your name, prove or explain anything, go to their website, or let them into your home.

Can't remember exact website address, but search for TV Licensing Laid Bare, free downloadable pdf explaining everything.

There's plenty of other sites.

And the letters are computer generated, often with slight misspellings of your name etc, so they can get away with what is harassment.

Also, only found this out yesterday, but bailiffs have 'rights' regarding tv licenses they don't have regarding various other debt, as the tv license is considered a 'payment to the government'.
So BBC are a government organisation.

Obviously, I am presuming tv is not being watched as broadcast.

[Pheeny]

Out of interest if a foreigner came on holiday in a camping van and they had a TV with them would they "by law" need a licence?

[rob1408]

No.

If you watch tv on it - as it is broadcast, and that includes the slight delays on cable, satellite etc - then yes. For iplayer, no - for radio, anywhere, no.

Also, if you have tvs that you do not watch tv on, you do NOT need a license, you do NOT need to give your name, prove or explain anything, go to their website, or let them into your home.

Can't remember exact website address, but search for TV Licensing Laid Bare, free downloadable pdf explaining everything.

There's plenty of other sites.

And the letters are computer generated, often with slight misspellings of your name etc, so they can get away with what is harassment.

Also, only found this out yesterday, but bailiffs have 'rights' regarding tv licenses they don't have regarding various other debt, as the tv license is considered a 'payment to the government'.
So BBC are a government organisation.

Obviously, I am presuming tv is not being watched as broadcast.

Not strictly true.  If you're taken to court and subsequently fined by the magistrate an enforcement officer technically has the right to force entry (although it very rarely happens).  This isn't anything to do with the BBC or government, it's because once it's been in front of the magistrate it becomes a criminal fine (for the time being, decriminalisation is being considered).

[Red Beret]

As I said, they've softened the wording in recent years.  It used to be just having a device capable of accessing live BBC content.  Now it's about whether you are just watching live broadcasts.

I don't access such content so I've told them I don't need a licence.  It doesn't rule them out paying me a visit however -  and their letters state that one in five people who say they don't need a licence actually do upon being reviewed in person.  I've not had a visit though, nor had anything to suggest they tried to visit when I wasn't around.

I dunno, maybe they're working on the honour system now; as long as you have the decency to get in touch and talk to them they wont press you as aggressively.

[redbyrdz]

So if you have a computer they can make you buy a TV Licence?

Currently in the UK, the TV license is for watching live TV, it doesn't matter what device it is on. Non-live content (youtube) and delayed TV (iplayer) is also fine to watch without a license.

By law, you have to buy a license if you watch live TV. But there is no low that you have to tell them that you don't need a license. Which is why they send you these letters all the time, making it sound as if you're a criminal - they have very little power to get people to talk to them.


It's a stupid system, they should just finance the BBC via normal taxes, they must waste so much much money on all the threats they send out.

[redbyrdz]

Out of interest if a foreigner came on holiday in a camping van and they had a TV with them would they "by law" need a licence?

Probably. Even if they were only watching foreign TV.

[Devon Red]

It's a stupid system, they should just finance the BBC via normal taxes, they must waste so much much money on all the threats they send out.

The problem with funding the BBC from the tax pot is that they would be even more dependent on the good will of the government than they are now. The important thing about the BBC being able to raise it's own funds is that's what makes it a public broadcaster, if it was government funded it would be a state broadcaster. Very different things. Not that the license fee is perfect, it needs reform.

[redbyrdz]

The problem with funding the BBC from the tax pot is that they would be even more dependent on the good will of the government than they are now. The important thing about the BBC being able to raise it's own funds is that's what makes it a public broadcaster, if it was government funded it would be a state broadcaster. Very different things. Not that the license fee is perfect, it needs reform.

Yeah, it's a valid point. But they need to get away from the current opt-in system, and they need to get rid of the many infuriating things about paying. The license puts people off the BBC.

[FlashingBlade]

How the licence fee was spent in 2013/14

Between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2014 the cost was £145.50 – the equivalent of £12.13 per month or just under 40p per day.

The BBC used its income from the licence fee to pay for its TV, radio and online services, plus other costs, as shown below.

TV

£8.00 per month per household.

Total spend £2,276m (66%)


Radio

£2.30 per month per household.

Total spend £650m (19%)

Online

£0.61 per month per household.

Total spend £174m (5%)


Other costs

£1.82 per month per household.

Total spend £357m (10%




£8 a month for TV £2 a week for BBC news ( as independent reporting as you can get in this world)...entertainment, documentries sport ( ok that's gone shit!).......fucking hell...if you think that's a rip off you need your head sorting...£2.30 a month for Radio.....that's got to be the best fucking value for anything that costs £2.30 a month...

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

£2.30 a month for Radio.....that's got to be the best fucking value for anything that costs £2.30 a month...

Amen. For that, you get so much value. Any one of their main channels is easily worth twice that.

But no, got to moan, blah blah, robbing bastards, should be privatised, who are they to demand money, I don't even use their services, ever, ever, honest...people are so full of shit these days and that includes everyone in this thread who has moaned about paying TV licence or council tax. Half of the c*nts are probably paying Rupert Murdoch for their Sky subscription, funding the c*nts who make the newspapers (and that rag), influence the bovine masses and cause us all to be living under this reprehensible Tory government.

[Rob K]

I Would rather pay 12 quid a month for BBC 1,2,3 and 4 (plus radio etc) than have another four ITV channels for free.

[Wallingtonian]

How the licence fee was spent in 2013/14

Between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2014 the cost was £145.50 – the equivalent of £12.13 per month or just under 40p per day.

The BBC used its income from the licence fee to pay for its TV, radio and online services, plus other costs, as shown below.

TV

£8.00 per month per household.

Total spend £2,276m (66%)


Radio

£2.30 per month per household.

Total spend £650m (19%)

Online

£0.61 per month per household.

Total spend £174m (5%)


Other costs

£1.82 per month per household.

Total spend £357m (10%




£8 a month for TV £2 a week for BBC news ( as independent reporting as you can get in this world)...entertainment, documentries sport ( ok that's gone shit!).......fucking hell...if you think that's a rip off you need your head sorting...£2.30 a month for Radio.....that's got to be the best fucking value for anything that costs £2.30 a month...

The issue with the licence fee isn't anything to do with value for money - which is a subjective term anyway - but the fact that it is a compulsory tax.

It's an anachronism that should be done away with. If its programming is attractive to its potential audience then surely people will be falling all over themselves to subscribe if it went that way? By the same token those who didn't want to watch BBC television or listen to its radio channels could save a few quid by not subscribing.

I don't have an axe to grind as I live abroad and when I last lived back home I paid by monthly direct debit. It didn't cost much; I spent much more in a night down the pub, but I had no choice but to pay the fee on pain of being hauled up on a criminal offence.

It doesn't help when all the bigwigs seem to squander vast sums on first class flights and train fares, not to mention ridiculous salaries to inane, useless "celebrities" and swamp the screen with shite like Eastenders and dancing shows.

It's difficult to see it surviving for many more years if it stays as this huge, bloated bureaucracy with a bottomless pit of our TV tax money to spend as they see fit.

[AndyMuller]

Why should I pay a TV license when I don't watch any BBC channels or listen to the radio stations? I'm basically paying for everyone else to watch and listen to the shite they produce, it's sound though, all about paying as a community, right?

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

Why should I pay a TV license when I don't watch any BBC channels or listen to the radio stations? I'm basically paying for everyone else to watch and listen to the shite they produce, it's sound though, all about paying as a community, right?

Why would anyone want to do anything as a community? There's no such thing as society, eh Thatcher?