Army veteran told TV licence is cancelled — after underpaying by ONE PENNY
A 93-year-old army veteran is ‘beside himself’ after being told his TV licence is cancelled – because he underpaid his bill by just ONE PENNY.
George Sirrell told his granddaughter Michelle Foster he fears licensing bosses are going to ‘turn his TV off’ and hound him at his door after receiving a letter warning that he’d underpaid.
It threatened to ‘cancel’ his licence and ban him from watching live TV unless he pays the 1p he owes before February 24 – a date which George claims had passed before the letter was delivered.
It’s believed the great-great-grandad didn’t notice his monthly fee was increasing from £13.88 to £13.89 in October so only began paying the hiked fee in November.
The penny has been outstanding on his account since but because he’s continued to pay monthly via his licence payment card, he ignored a warning letter last month thinking it was sent in error.
Furious Michelle, of County Durham, believes it’s ‘ridiculous’ licensing authorities would cancel his licence over a one pence piece and branded it ‘an embarrassment’.
The mum-of-two explains George has lived on his own since his wife died 12 years ago so the TV is ‘all he’s got’ when she, his four great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren can’t visit.
In a scathing complaint email sent on Thursday, Michelle, 42, demanded an apology and explained bosses should be ‘ashamed’ for leaving George upset and worried.
After being contacted by journalists, TV Licensing apologised to the family but said that, while it was automatically generated, the letter had been sent as the ‘payment plan had not been adhered to’.
TV Licensing confirmed George’s licence had not been revoked as the payments were now ‘up to date’ – but Michelle said they had not made the extra payment of the 1p so it remains unclear how this occurred.