SCRAPPING free TV licences for over-75s would cost pensioners in Gwent £5.79 million a year, new figures have revealed.

The UK Government is to scrap funding for the scheme in 2020 - despite the Conservative Party promising in its 2017 manifesto to protect it until 2022 - and the BBC is currently considering whether or not to continue it.

But research by the Labour Party has revealed there are 38,460 people in Gwent currently eligible for free licences under the scheme - and ending it would cost them a combined total of £5.79 million every year.

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In Newport 10,600 people are eligible under the scheme, and would have to pay out £1.58 million a year if it is scrapped.

Blaenau Gwent MP Nick Smith has campaigned for the concession to be continued for some time. In his constituency 4,660 people are eligible for free licences, and the new research shows ending the scheme would cost them £701,330 a year.

Blaenau Gwent MP Nick Smith

Labour MP Mr Smith said: “The fact that elderly people could lose their free TV licences makes a mockery of Theresa May’s claim that austerity is over. The government should take responsibility and keep TV licences free for the over-75s.

“Almost a billion pounds of costs would be offloaded onto our oldest citizens in a single year, through this government scrapping free TV licences and changing pension credit. This is another Tory policy that punishes pensioners.

“This Tory government is picking pensioners’ pockets. The government should urgently reconsider and keep TV licences free for the over-75s.”

The research, which is broken down by Parliamentary constituency, shows ending the policy will affect areas in Gwent:

Newport West: 5,590 people eligible, yearly cost: £841,295

Newport East: 5,010 people eligible, yearly cost: £754,005

Monmouth: 7,580 people eligible, yearly cost: £1,140,790

Caerphilly: 5,410 people eligible, yearly cost: £814,205

Torfaen: 5,240 people eligible, yearly cost: £788,620

Islwyn: 4,970 people eligible, yearly cost: £747,985

Blaenau Gwent: 4,660 people eligible, yearly cost: £701,330

Blaenau Gwent MP Nick Smith speaking on TV licences in Parliament last week

Across Wales as a whole there are 217,230 people eligible for free licences, and scrapping this would force Welsh pensioners to shell out an extra £32.69 million a year. And across the entire UK 3.99 million over-75s are entitled to free licences, with an extra cost of £601.07 million if it is scrapped.

The annual cost of a TV licence is to increase from £150.50 to £154.50 in April.