Blind TV Licence Discount 2026
£90/year if a household member is registered as severely sight-impaired. A 50 per cent discount on the standard £180 fee, applied to the whole licence.
Discounted colour licence
£90.00
50% off £180
Annual saving
£90.00
vs standard fee
Discounted B&W
£30.25
50% off £60.50
The 50 per cent concession in detail
The blind TV licence concession was introduced in 2000 and provides a 50 per cent discount on the standard licence fee for households where a member is registered as severely sight-impaired. The concession is one of the longer-standing UK disability benefits, originally introduced to reflect that television is often a primary information and entertainment medium for blind viewers (via audio description, talking television guides, and BBC Sounds), and that the licence fee should reflect this dependence.
The discount is 50 per cent flat, applied to whichever standard fee would otherwise apply. In 2026 that means £90 for colour (versus the £180 standard) and £30.25 for the B&W tier (versus £60.50). The concession is per licence (not per person), so a household with one severely sight-impaired member pays the discounted rate for the whole household, including any sighted partners, children, or lodgers at the same address.
Eligibility: the severely sight-impaired threshold
The eligibility threshold is "severely sight-impaired" (formerly called "blind"). This is one of two formal registration categories used by UK councils and the NHS; the other is "sight-impaired" (formerly "partially sighted"). Only the higher category qualifies for the TV licence discount. Sight-impaired registration alone does not qualify.
The clinical definition of "severely sight-impaired" is set by Public Health England guidance and applied by consultant ophthalmologists. The two principal criteria are: visual acuity worse than 3/60 with both eyes (you cannot see at three metres what a person with normal vision sees at sixty metres), or visual field severely restricted (typically less than 10 degrees) regardless of acuity. There are sub-criteria for various combinations of mild acuity loss with severe field loss.
Severely sight-impaired status is normally confirmed by a Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI), formerly known as the BD8. The CVI is issued by a consultant ophthalmologist and is the document used both for council registration and for third-party benefits including the TV licence discount.
How to apply
Apply via TV Licensing online (the "blind concession" section under help and support) or by phone on 0300 790 6071 (the dedicated number for blind concession applications). The application asks for: the severely sight-impaired household member's name and date of birth, their council registration number if registered, and a copy of the CVI or council registration confirmation.
Submit the CVI or registration confirmation by post (to the address provided with your application) or as a scanned upload through the TV Licensing online account. TV Licensing accepts a clear photocopy or scan; you do not need to send the original. The application is normally processed within 2 to 3 weeks. If you do not have an active CVI, ask your ophthalmologist for one; the document can also be requested via your local sensory services team if you have one.
Existing standard-licence holders who switch to the blind concession receive a pro-rata refund of the difference for the remaining months of the current licence year. For example, if you switch six months into your licence year, you get back six months' worth of the £90 difference, approximately £45.
Joint household and partner rules
The licence must be registered in the name of the severely sight-impaired household member to qualify for the discount. This is the most common reason applications are queried: a partner or family member has historically been the named licence holder, and the application needs to transfer the licence to the sight-impaired person.
Transferring the licence is straightforward. The application form has a section asking who the current licence is registered to and confirming consent to transfer. The licence is then re-issued in the sight-impaired person's name at the discounted rate. The actual payment can still be made by any household member (it does not have to be the licence holder), and the Direct Debit can remain on the same bank account.
All household members at the same address are covered by the discounted licence. This includes sighted partners, children, lodgers, and live-in carers. There is no requirement for any other household members to be sight-impaired.
Comparison with other concessions
| Concession | Cost | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|
| Standard licence | £180 | Default |
| Blind concession | £90 | Severely sight-impaired |
| Free over-75 | £0 | 75+ on Pension Credit |
| ARC (care home) | £7.50/room | Residential care |
| B&W licence | £60.50 | Monochrome equipment |
See our full exemptions guide for the complete concession list. If you are both severely sight-impaired and over 75 on Pension Credit, the free over-75 licence supersedes the blind discount (free is better than 50 per cent off).
Not legal advice
For your specific situation, check tvlicensing.co.uk or seek free advice from RNIB or Citizens Advice.