Britons are being urged to check if they can apply for a free TV licence as millions of pounds worth of support go unclaimed per year.

A report by Policy in Practice estimates thousands of households are missing out, with the total figure of unclaimed free TV licences amounting to a startling £249million.

The TV licence, now priced at £169.50 a year following an increase in April, must be purchased by any household in the UK that watches live TV and for many, renewing it is…