Potential lost income for the BBC in 2024–25 is estimated to exceed £1.1 billion. Licence fee evasion increased to 12.52%, up from 12.04% in 2023–24, representing up to £550 million in lost revenue. The BBC did not set a target for evasion during this period. In addition, 3.6 million households declared that they do not need a licence, which could equate to as much as £617 million in additional income in 2024–25 if converted to paying households. These declarations have continued to rise, and increased by 0.3 million (10.5%) compared with 2023–24.8 The BBC told us that it has been addressing licence fee evasion through various measures, including visits to unlicensed households and targeted communications. The BBC explained that it changed the reaffirmation period for “no licence needed” declarations from two years to one year, which drove an extra £13 million in revenue for 2024–25. In addition, it said that it improved its website journey and trained agents to ensure that people understand the wide range of licensable activities, such as watching a live overseas channel on YouTube, to prevent inadvertent “no licence needed” declarations.9 6 BBC Group Annual Report and Accounts 2024–25, p. 58, 59, 61 7 BBC Group Annual Report and Accounts 2024–25, p. 62, 64 8 Television Licence Fee Trust Statement for the Year Ending 31 March 2025, 15 July 2025, HC 1182, p. 26, 29 9 Qq 7, 9 7