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“What I’m very concerned about on the TV licence fee is how many women have ended up in prison for non-payment, a disproportionate number.”

Liz Truss, Conservative Leadership Candidate, Daily Mail

2 August 2022

Facts

Independent website Full Fact says

“You cannot be sent to prison for failing to pay a TV licence fee, only for failing to pay a court-imposed fine in connection with a conviction for not paying the fee. Being imprisoned for this offence is rare—the latest available figures for England and Wales show no one was jailed in 2020 or 2021, and no more than two people were in 2019.

“There are different ways of understanding what Ms Truss meant by “disproportionate”, but assuming she was talking about the relative numbers of women and men who are jailed, much of the evidence does not support her claim.”

Verdict

Liz Truss falsely claimed that women are disproportionately imprisoned for not paying their licence fee. 

We emailed Liz Truss’ office offering her the chance to respond. The email was received, but no reply.  

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