Switchover Support For Vulnerable To Cost £600 Million

The Government has said that the cost of ensuring the most vulnerable people in Britain receive adequate support for digital switchover will be around £600 million.

The money is expected to come from the television licence fee but culture secretary Tessa Jowell said, whilst revealing details of the switchover support scheme in the Commons yesterday, that the Government will ensure the costs do not have an impact on the BBC’s programme budget.

“Each eligible household will be helped to convert one TV set,” she said. “Provision will be free for the poorest eligible households – those on income support, income-related job seekers’ allowance or pension credit. Other eligible households will be expected to pay a modest fee – which we propose should be set at £40.

“In the interest of basic fairness and choice, it is important that we ensure access to free-to-air digital TV as near universally as can possibly be.”

In her Commons statement, Jowell added that a BBC licence fee deal would be confirmed in the New Year and that the proposed relocation of the corporation’s sport and children’s programming departments to Salford was still expected to go ahead.

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