As predicted, the Tory Government has broken its manifesto promise to keep free TV Licences for over-75s until 2022, and now millions of elderly people across the country will have to pay.

In St Helens North, 4,720 pensioner households will lose this benefit, costing collectively over £710,000 annually.

Elderly people losing their free TV licences makes a mockery of the claim that austerity is over. The Government should take responsibility – rather than passing the buck to the BBC – and save free TV Licences for the over-75s.