NEWPORT East Labour MP Jessica Morden today gave her support to a Labour motion to keep free TV licences free for over-75s.

Ms Morden said: “This Government has broken its manifesto promise to commit to free TV licences for over-75s until 2022, now millions of older people across the country are facing losing their free TV licences.

"If current concessions on TV licences for over-75s end, more than 5,000 households in Newport East would lose their free licences. Across Gwent this figure rises to 33,050 households – with a combined annual cost to the households affected of almost £5 million."

Free TV licences are an important benefit for older people who suffer disproportionately from loneliness and social isolation.

The Campaign to End Loneliness found that 40 per cent of older people say their television is their main source of company. Age UK has found that more than two million over-75s would have to go without TV or cut back on essentials such as heating or eating if the concession is scrapped, and the change would push 50,000 pensioners below the poverty line. 1.6 million over-75s with a disability, many of whom have serious mobility issues and may not be easily able to leave their homes, could lose their TV licence if the benefit is scrapped altogether.

Ms Morden added “A number of elderly constituents have written to me this week telling me how worried they are at the prospect of losing their free licence.

"One 75-year-old resident wrote to me to highlight that she and her husband ‘can barely manage to live’ on their basic old age pension, and would have to give up TV altogether if the free licence were withdrawn. She is not alone, and for many of our pensioners who have worked hard and paid their taxes over decades, losing their TV licence is a worry they could do without. I’d urge the Government to think again and honour their manifesto promise to fund free TV licences for over-75s.”

The 2017 Conservative Manifesto promised to “maintain all other pensioner benefits, including free bus passes, eye tests, prescriptions and TV licences, for the duration of this Parliament”.