Details of how free TV licences will be issued to pensioners next year have been outlined in the House of Keys.

Policy and Reform Minister Ray Harmer said the BBC’s decision not to fund TV licences for all over-75s was ’disappointing but not entirely unexpected’.

The BBC will now only fund free TV licences for those over-75s on income support.

But the Treasury has agreed to fund them next year for those who do not receive income support.

Mr Harmer advised the Keys that a solution had been agreed in principle with the BBC and TV Licensing that will see all over-75s in the island being issued with a free TV licence for 2020-21, regardless of whether or not they receive income support.

Fine detail is still being worked out, he said, but essentially later this month TV licensing will send Treasury a schedule of all those households that according to its records includes a person aged 75 and over.

Treasury will check that data against its own records. Then free TV licences will be sent out to all those who Treasury has confirmed as eligible, in late December or early January.

Funding will be dealt with between Treasury and TV licensing.

A pensioner who is turning 75 before the end of the year should apply directly to TV licensing for a free TV licence.

But Treasury’s pension team and social security will write to those reaching their 75th birthday next year to ask if they wish to receive a free TV licence. Their details will be forwarded to TV Licensing who will then arrange for them to be sent .

Mr Harmer said the change to new applications going via Treasury is so TV Licensing can implement a new standardised system across the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey.

Jason Moorhouse (Arbory, Castletown and Malew) suggested the government was creating more uncertainty by only guaranteeing free licences until the end of 2021. ’Isn’t this simply an example of kicking the can down the road?’ he asked.

Mr Harmer said: ’Obviously we can’t bind a future administration.’

He said the Tynwald resolution of 2016 in which the government committed to continuing free TV licences for the over-75s was still in effect and any change in the policy would require a future administration to come back to Tynwald to seek to amend it.