The Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004

Concessions for blind persons

5.—(1) Where—

(a) a TV licence is issued to a blind person, authorising the installation or use of a television receiver at one or more places or in one or more vehicles, vessels or caravans specified in the licence; and

(b) each place, vehicle, vessel or caravan so specified is a residence of that person,

the fee payable (including the amount of any instalment payments) shall be 50 per cent of the amount which would otherwise be payable for the licence in accordance with regulation 3.

This reduction in the amount payable is referred to in this paragraph as the “blind concession”.

(2) In order to establish an entitlement to the blind concession a person must—

(a) show that he is registered as blind with—

(i) a local authority in the United Kingdom, or

(ii) the Department of Health and Social Security for the Isle of Man,

by way of a certificate or other document issued by or on behalf of the authority concerned; or

(b) provide evidence that he is blind by way of a certificate signed by an ophthalmologist.

(3) A person is not required to provide the evidence referred to in paragraph (2) to obtain the blind concession in respect of a TV licence where—

(a) that person has previously established an entitlement to the concession by providing the evidence referred to in that paragraph; and

(b) that evidence was provided within the period of 5 years ending on the date on which the licence is issued.

(4) This regulation does not apply where the TV licence is of a type and description specified in paragraph 1 of Schedule 4 or paragraph 2 of Schedule 5.

(5) In these Regulations—

“blind” means that the person concerned is so blind as to be unable to perform any work for which eyesight is essential;

“local authority” means—

(a)

in England, a county council, a district council, a London borough council, the Common Council of the City of London, and the Council of the Isles of Scilly;

(b)

in Wales, a county council or a county borough council;

(c)

in Scotland, a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994(1); and

(d)

in Northern Ireland, a district council;

“ophthalmologist” means a doctor whose name is included in the register of specialists kept by the General Medical Council under article 8 of the European Specialist Medical Qualifications Order 1995(2) and in respect of whom that register indicates his speciality to be ophthalmology.

(1)

1994 c. 39.

(2)

S.I. 1995/3208, amended by S.I. 2002/849.