A RISE in the television licence fee comes into force next month for Worcestershire viewers.

The license fee will rise from £145.50 to £147 on April 1, the government has confirmed - a rise of £1.50 annually.

The government announced last year that the fee would rise in line with inflation for five years from 2017, the fee price having been frozen since 2010.

Anyone buying or renewing a licence after April 1 pays the new fee, while those already buying a licence on an instalment scheme will be able to continue making payments totalling £145.50, until their licence comes up for renewal.

Mark Whitehouse, spokesperson for TV Licensing in the West Midlands, said: “The free concession for those aged over 75 remains, although as at present this is not issued automatically, and anyone entitled to the concession must apply for it.

"If you are blind (severely sight impaired) you are entitled to a 50 per cent concession on the cost of a TV Licence. From 1 April 2017, this amount will be £73.50.

“TV Licensing provides a range of ways to pay, including small weekly cash payments and annual direct debit. Payers can view their details on line at any time, and can choose to receive correspondence from TV Licensing by email, rather than by post,” he said.

Anyone watching or recording TV programmes as they are shown on TV, or watching or downloading BBC programmes on iPlayer, needs to be covered by a licence.

For more information about when a licence is needed visit tvlicensing.co.uk/info.