We wrote to people twice last year. In August we wrote to all over 75 customers who had previously held a free licence explaining the simple steps they needed to take to apply for a paid or free licence. A reminder letter was sent to a much smaller group in October and November to help remaining customers get set-up. No one needs to leave their home to get set-up. Arrangements can be made via post, online or via a dedicated phone line on 0300 790 6117 The Government sets the criteria for Pension Credit and further detail from the Department for Work and Pensions can be found here.

Clive Lloyd knighted - BBC New Year’s Honours: West Indies star Clive Lloyd knighted - BBC

As of August 2020 there were 4.2m over-75 households with free licences that, under the new policy, needed to transition to new paid or free licences.We have had to adjust our plans because of Covid-19 - ensuring customers have plenty of time to respond and creating new processes to help them get set-up from home. Initial tests take place to see if a vaccine is safe and will lead to immunity. These tests will take place ‘in vitro’ (in a group of cells which have been grown in a laboratory and aren’t part of an animal) or ‘in vivo’ (in animals). If you have concerns based on specific medications or medical conditions, here are some links which may help answer your questions: Overall, customer satisfaction levels remain high - as measured by independent assessment and industry best practice.

TV Licences: An update - Media Centre - BBC Over 75s TV Licences: An update - Media Centre - BBC

Your healthcare professional is there to answer any questions or worries you might have about the vaccine. It’s recommended that pregnant women should only receive the vaccine in certain circumstances. Children shouldn't get the vaccine at the moment, either. This is simply because it hasn't yet been tested on these groups. Vaccines teach our bodies to recognise antigens. This is the part of the virus that attaches to the cells in our body – something they need to do to replicate and cause an infection. Your body’s immune system produces antibodies that ‘match’ the antigens from a specific virus and prevent them from attaching to cells.

Covid-safe process

After vaccination, if the virus gets into our body, our immune system remembers what to do and produces antibodies to fight it. This means the infection doesn’t get a chance to take hold and we are immune to the virus. Vaccination means we can stimulate this immunity without becoming unwell with the disease in the first place. After six months, this is good progress for the implementation of a programme of this size. We always knew the transition process would take time and this has been central to our planning. We know there have been a small number of cases in which there has been a delay or the transition process has not been straightforward. No visits have been authorised to anyone who had previously held a free over-75s licence. This policy has been in place since August last year. Wherever a vaccine is developed, it must be granted approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) if it's to be used in the UK. They examine the available information about the vaccine, how well it works and whether it’s safe before giving approval. Once approved and licensed, the vaccine needs to be produced in large enough quantities before finally being given to the population.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine latest information | Age UK

Any side effects you experience can also be reported to the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme by your doctor. The BBC retained a free licence provision for the most vulnerable. Free TV licences remain available to anyone aged over 75 who is in receipt of Pension Credit, paid for by the BBC. Since the start of August 2020 we have handled more than one million phone calls to our dedicated helpline.The third stage of testing involves tens of thousands of volunteers. Some are randomly selected to receive the vaccine and some receive a placebo. Neither the scientists or volunteers know who gets selected for each. Research has shown that the protection the vaccines provide starts to lessen as time goes on. Booster vaccines have also been amended to protect you from more recent variants, so it's important that everyone who is eligible goes and gets their booster. Do I need to get my flu vaccine too? Developing a vaccine often takes some time. This is usually because research and pharmaceutical companies can’t commit to funding the whole process. There are often long gaps between phases while organisations wait for funding before moving to the next stage. Even when a vaccine is approved, it takes some time for pharmaceutical companies to set up manufacturing and produce the vaccine in the quantities needed for public use. No enforcement action has been taken against anyone who has previously held a free over-75s TV licence.