THOUSANDS of pensioner households in north east Wales will soon be receiving a letter that ends their automatic right to a free TV licence.

Charities and campaigners have said the change will be devastating for many older people, especially as a second wave of Covid-19 could make access to television a “lifeline”.

A House of Commons Library analysis reveals 6,610 households with someone aged 75 or over in Wrexham will cease to qualify for a free licence under the new means-tested scheme.

Flintshire is set to be the worst affected area in the region in terms of household numbers - with 8,310 homes will no longer have access to the service for free.

The new rules came into force on August 1 and mean only households with someone in the age bracket who receives Pension Credit will be eligible. Previously, anyone aged 75 or over was exempt from the charge, which stands at £157.50 per year.

Jack Sargeant, MS for Alyn and Deeside, previously told the Leader this was a 'cruel decision'.

He added: "It's unacceptable that instead of maintaining free TV licences for the over 75s, the Tory UK Government handed responsibility to the BBC and in the process abdicated their responsibility to administer a key benefit payment.

"Those who benefit from the free TV licence are most likely to have had to shield during the Coronavirus pandemic, often leaving them isolated from other social interactions. For many of those people, their TV has been a lifeline, providing their main source of news and crucial information on the outbreak as well as acting as a companion during these difficult times

"It is time for the Tory UK Government to honour its commitments and reverse its cruel decision to force the over 75s to pay for their TV licenses."

Ken Skates MS and Wrexham MP's Sarah Atherton and Simon Baynes also branded the decision as 'deeply disappointing'.

Around 3.2 million households across Great Britain could lose out on the benefit, according to the findings, with an estimated 165,980 of those pensioner households being in Wales.

The BBC was given responsibility for funding free TV licences as part of a deal with the Government in 2015.

But the corporation says it would cost £745 million a year to foot the bill, which it could afford only by shutting down numerous channels and radio stations.

Jan Shortt, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention, said she would not stop campaigning to have the decision overturned.

She added: “This is devastating for all those people who will now have to find the extra money. We’re particularly concerned about those who are only just over the Pension Credit limit.

“They’re the ones who are already making difficult decisions about how they spend their money. For those people their TV is a lifeline, particularly when we might have a second wave of the coronavirus.

“We will continue to argue with the Government – it’s their responsibility.”

Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK, said it was 'deplorable' that any older person should have to choose between cutting spending on essentials, giving up TV altogether, or watching without a licence and breaking the law.

She said she hoped the BBC and the Government could find a way to 'keep TV free for the oldest in our society'.

The analysis compared figures on households with someone aged 75 or over receiving Winter Fuel Payments – a universal benefit – with Pension Credit claims in November last year in which the main claimant was in the age group.

The BBC said it is sending letters to people asking them to confirm their eligibility to continue to receive a free licence, or to pay from August 1.

A BBC spokeswoman said: “It was the Government who decided to stop funding free TV licence fees for the over-75s. The BBC is not making any judgements about who is or isn’t poor, as the Government sets the criteria for Pension Credit eligibility.

“Our focus is now on making the transition as safe and easy as possible for all older people. No one needs to do anything until they have received a letter from TV Licensing – whether that’s paying or applying for a free licence – and no one needs to leave their home.”

She added that 800 call centre staff were working to support customers.