Anyone in Ireland who owns a television must have a TV licence.
The fee is €160 and a licence is required even if the TV is broken. The fee is still owed even if you only use your TV to access streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
If you have more than one TV in your home, only one licence is required for the house. However, some groups are exempt from paying the €160 licence fee as a part of the Household Benefits Package (HBP).
The HBP helps with the cost of electricity and gas bills and covers the TV licence. Only one person in a household can get the package, and all those aged 70 and over are eligible.
Read more: Social welfare Ireland: How to apply for bonus €100 cost of living payment due in weeks
There are some people under 70 who also qualify for the HBP, but additional rules apply. To get the Household Benefits Package, you must:
- Be living in Ireland (full-time, all year round)
- Be the only person in your household getting the HBP
- Have the electricity or gas bill in your name (if you are applying for an Electricity or Gas Allowance)
- Be aged 70 or over
- Be aged under 70 and meet the additional rules
If you are aged under 70 and live with a spouse, cohabitant or civil partner, you can get the HBP if you are in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment, and other factors apply to you.
In order to get the HBP, you must be getting an increase in your qualifying social welfare payment for your partner/cohabitant, or they are getting their own qualifying social welfare payment, or they are getting a social welfare payment not listed below and they satisfy a means test. You can live with other adults who are not your spouse, cohabitant or civil partner and still get the HBP.
The following social welfare payments will qualify those under 70 for the HBP.
- Disability Allowance
- Invalidity Pension
- Blind Pension
- Incapacity Supplement (for at least 12 months) with Disablement Pension (for at least 12 months)
- If you are caring for and living with a person who is getting Constant Attendance Allowance.
- Carer's Allowance (full or half-rate payment), but you must be living with the person you are caring for.
- An equivalent Social Security Pension or Benefit from a country covered by EU Regulations, or from a country with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement
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