The BBC licence fee is expected to rise from £180 to £202.60 by 2031, even as the number of households paying it continues to fall.
Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts indicate that only 19 million people will be paying the fee in five years’ time. That would represent a drop of 2.7 million and is significantly below the OBR’s previous projection of 21 million payers.
The BBC is currently losing about 500,000 licence-fee payers each year, while its bosses have warned of a “steeper than projected decline” in recent months.
Matt Brittin, the BBC’s director general, has described the mandatory charge as a “busted flush” as fewer people make the payment.
The Corporation says 94 per cent of households use its services each month, but only 80 per cent pay the licence fee.
