Tens of thousands of students will not have to pay for a TV licence to watch BBC iPlayer despite a change in the law, it has emerged.
A change in the law introduced yesterday put an end to the loophole which allowed the viewing of programmes after they had been broadcast without paying the annual £145.50 fee.
But a crucial clause has been left in the legislation meaning that thousands of students will be exempt from paying as they can be covered by their parents’ licence.
The exemption covers any student where their permanent address is their parents’ home, their parents have a valid TV licence and they must only watch shows on a device powered by its internal batteries.
The Government committed to closing the loophole in March, with John Whittingdale, then culture secretary, saying: "The BBC works on the basis that all who watch it pay for it.
"Giving a free ride to those who enjoy Sherlock or Bake Off an hour, a day or a week after they are broadcast was never intended and is wrong."
Anyone caught watching iPlayer without a valid TV licence could be fined up to £1000 plus additional legal fees.
It is not yet clear how the rules will be enforced as the BBC has not revealed plans to ask viewers to enter licence fee details on iPlayer.
