BBC sends out 46 million licence fee letters after losing £1bn as Britons face hike to £180

Joe Sledge
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:05:10 +0000

The BBC dispatched 46 million warning letters to British households during 2024-25 as the corporation intensified its campaign against licence fee non-payment.

This figure marks a 12 per cent rise compared with the previous year, when 41 million enforcement notices were issued.

The escalation in correspondence comes as the annual licence fee increases by £5.50 to £180 from April 1.

TV Licensing, the broadcaster’s revenue collection division, confirmed the figures in response to a parliamentary question tabled by Labour MP Alex Mayer.

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The volume of warning letters represents the highest total in at least three years, with some addresses receiving multiple notices.

A licence is legally required to watch live television or access BBC iPlayer.

The corporation’s increased postal campaign comes amid financial pressures at Broadcasting House.

During 2024-25, the BBC lost more than £1billion through a combination of licence fee evasion and households cancelling their subscriptions altogether.

The number of licence fee payers has fallen in recent years, declining from 26.2 million in 2017 to approximately 23.8 million.

A November report from the Public Accounts Committee estimated that 3.6 million households now operate without a licence, stating they do not watch television at home.

This represents roughly £617million in foregone revenue for the broadcaster.

The same parliamentary report found that one in eight BBC users had evaded payment while still accessing services, pushing potential lost income to £1.1billion.

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MPs said the corporation was "not doing enough" to enforce compliance.

Beyond the 46 million warning letters, the BBC issued a total of 72 million pieces of correspondence during the year, including licence expiry reminders, payment notices and refund-related communications.

The cost of collecting the licence fee reached £165.6million in 2024-25.

Facing mounting pressure to stem revenue losses, the corporation is now deploying new technological measures.

The Telegraph reported in January that BBC iPlayer will be used for the first time to identify households watching without a valid licence.

Under this initiative, up to 40 million online accounts will be cross-referenced with the licence status of their registered addresses.

The move represents an escalation in the BBC’s enforcement approach, targeting those who access streaming content while avoiding payment.

John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, criticised the scale of correspondence.

Mr O'Connell said: "Sending out around up to 72 million licence fee letters smacks of an organisation desperately trying to shore up a failing funding model. When the BBC has to bombard households with reminders to pay, it's a clear sign the licence fee is no longer fit for purpose."

A BBC spokesman said: "TV Licensing has a responsibility to support the collection of the licence fee by contacting unlicensed households. These letters raise more revenue than they cost to send, helping fund BBC programmes and services."

Labour is conducting a review of the BBC’s charter, placing the future of the funding mechanism under scrutiny.

The broadcaster has indicated openness to a tax-based alternative, although ministers have dismissed this option.