BBC licence fee to rise by £3.50 in April

The new fee will come into effect on 1 April

The UK's annual television licence fee is to rise to £150.50 from £147, the government has announced.

The increase, which will come into effect on 1 April, follows last year's rise to £147 from £145.50.

Last year the government announced that the licence fee would rise in line with inflation for the next five years.

Anyone watching or recording TV programmes as they are shown on TV, or watching or downloading BBC programmes on iPlayer, must have a licence.

• BBC iPlayer login required from 2017

The charge applies whether they are using a TV set, computer or any other equipment.

The fee also contributes to the costs of rolling out broadband to the UK population and helps to fund the Welsh Language TV channel S4C and local TV channels.

The level of the licence fee is set by the government.

Before last year's increase, the licence fee had remained frozen since 2010.