OVER 7,000 Inverclyde pensioners could be affected by the decision to axe free TV licences for over-75s.

The BBC announced earlier this week that the scheme is coming to an end for some 3.7 million UK pensioners from June next year.

Only low-income households where one person receives the pension credit benefit will still be allowed a free licence.

The policy is currently financed by the UK Government but the corporation will take over responsibility for funding it by 2020.

The BBC says it is too expensive to maintain and the £745m bill would equate to a fifth of its budget, putting at risk several channels and radio stations, including BBC Scotland.

Inverclyde MP Ronnie Cowan has hit out at the decision and says it will affect an estimated 7,000 people aged over 75 locally who use a TV, according to figures obtained from the House of Commons Library.

Mr Cowan said: "After years of UK Government austerity, and the deep financial uncertainty of Brexit, the last thing older people in Inverclyde need is the extra burden of £154 to their household bills.

"The government must u-turn on their broken manifesto promise and fully fund the TV licence for our older people."

Prime minister Theresa May said the decision by the BBC, which follows a public consultation exercise earlier this year, was 'very disappointing'.

Martin McCluskey, Inverclyde's Labour candidate for the next general election, hit out at the plans when they were first revealed in January.

Mr McCluskey said today: "This is a terrible decision.

"For many older people who are on their own, the TV provides them with much-needed company and 40 per cent have said that they would need to cut back on food or heating to afford their TV licence.

"The Tories promised to maintain this benefit for older people but they went back on their word. "The BBC's decision to introduce a means test means that over 7,000 older people in Inverclyde will lose their free TV licence.

"Last year, I launched a petition to campaign against this change and people across Inverclyde made their views known. "Labour will continue to campaign against this change and push the government to reintroduce the free TV licence."

According to the BBC, 190,000 people were consulted about the proposed changes and 52 per cent were in favour of reforming or abolishing free licences.