Despite an 8 million increase in the UK’s population, the same amount of people pay their BBC licence fee as they did 20 years ago.
Almost twice as many people as ten years ago are believed to be at risk of going to jail for watching TV without a licence.
Not paying the licence fee when you should is illegal, and about 1,000 people are prosecuted each week for not paying the required amount.
Almost three million users declared in August that they no longer wanted to see BBC material, making them unwilling to pay the yearly fee.
With fewer people feeling they have to pay, TV Licensing (TVL), the body responsible for selling licences and collecting fees, has observed a sales decline.
In 2022, the establishment sold 23.50 million new licences, over 400,000 fewer than the previous year.
License fees make up a significant amount of the BBC’s funding, so fewer sales weaken the broadcaster’s finances.
As sales declines, the BBC has racked up its license fee’s price.
The BBC license fee per year currently stands at £159 per household for colour TV, however in April 2024, this will rise to £169.50.
The £10.50 license fee increase, which was announced earlier this month, has also enraged many, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak looking to intervene.
The Prime Minister also urged the corporation not to push for a large increase in the licence fee and be “realistic about what it can expect people to pay at a time like this”.
Over a century ago, people were paying just 10 shillings (50p) which equates to £29 in today’s money. However as of April, the new fee will be nearly six times that.