TV licence officials are “terrorising” over-75s who have been stripped of free licences.
Letters sent by Capita, the firm that enforces the licensing system, to people who have not paid up, say a probe is under way and a visit has been authorised, accompanied by threats of a £1,000 fine.
Letters are addressed to “the occupier”. Campaign group Silver Voices says it is a “ruse” to create fear and has left people feeling dehumanised.
It added it has received hundreds of angry messages from over-75s saying they received a personally addressed letter in July from the BBC about their licence being cancelled, followed months later by enforcement threats to “the occupier”.
Silver Voices said: “Capita is pretending it doesn’t know who lives [there] to terrorise older people.”
SV director Dennis Reed said the firm is trying to “frighten people already reeling from the cost of living crisis”.
Labour peer Lord George Foulkes called Capita’s actions “despicable”.
Millions were robbed of the £159 per year benefit after the Tories broke a 2017 manifesto pledge to preserve the lifeline. The BBC, which now has responsibility for funding it, brought in means-testing.
