Vulnerable people dragged to court over TV licence and left with criminal record
Vulnerable people including a woman who was domestically abused, a mum with “severe” mental health issues and a family battling problems with their child’s health were amongst the recent bleak prosecutions over TV licences.
Court paperwork has revealed those taken to court over failing to pay the £159 a year to use the BBC. The enforcement agency hired by the broadcasters, the TV Licensing authority, claims it only prosecutes people as a “last resort” - but some cases suggest otherwise.
One 27-year-old single mother told an inspector on September 12 that she was on benefits and battling serious health issues. Just three weeks later she was charged with using a TV without a licence. In her guilty plea she wrote to the court she struggled daily with "debilitating health conditions" including stroke-like symptoms and chronic migraines as well as mental health issues.
TV licencing fees help to fund the BBC (Getty Images)Whilst a 45-year-old cable maker said stopping his family from going hungry was more important than other unpaid bills. “Feeding my family became a priority during these months and I needed to miss certain bills in order to afford food, electricity, and gas. Since the attachment of earnings has been repaid my TV licence is paid up to date,” he explained.
Another document as part of the investigation by Wales Online showed how a 26-year-old local authority worker told an inspector: "I am trying to keep my home warm and feed my family" before she was charged. She explained she had missed one payment before she was out of the country for three months due to her children's health issues. She said: "They should consider your circumstances and show more compassion to people. Of course a criminal record is a problem. It has been very stressful."
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People who don't pay the fee on time can be left facing prosecution in court (Getty Images)A 34-year-old woman who was charged in September wrote in her guilty plea: "I was in an abusive relationship. My husband was controlling. I was left with no money and having to use foodbanks. I have crisis team proof available. I have been waiting for student finance. I can now pay in full."
One window cleaner, whose wife has been seriously ill, said he only uses his TV to listen to radio programmes and was initially prepared to argue his case at Swansea Magistrates' Court. But when the 60-year-old turned up at court he learned the case had been put back to a later date in Merthyr Tydfil. By this point the prospect of more travel costs and a potential £1,000 fine if found guilty at trial had convinced him to enter a guilty plea.
A TV Licensing spokesman said prosecutions have fallen in recent years and added: “TV Licensing’s primary aim is to help people stay licensed and avoid prosecution – which is always a last resort. We have a dedicated team that reviews an individual’s case to stop it proceeding to court if we receive evidence showing that it would not be in the public interest to prosecute. We provide defendants additional guidance about the prosecution process and how to submit mitigating evidence.”
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