thank you for this: I am afraid that because I have been deferring each year it won't be statute barred.

Just a quick PS. CCI Legal are insisting that I contact them by telephone to arrange repayments but if this is going to have to go ahead I would rather write to them and indicate how much I am able to pay (which isn't much). Is that an OK thing to do? I have looked at the CCCS debt remedy and I could send an itemised budget to them indicating how much I am able to pay and giving them a cheque for that amount? I've also just posted another letter to student loans complaints department (as writing letters to the normal channels didn't seem to help). Apologies for all the questions: I am trying to get the student loans company to see sense and also trying to avoid any further action from the odious debt collection agency.

Hello! This is about a pre-1998 loan. It seems that in 2010 and again at the start of 2011, the student loans company ignored letters changing my address, I was unable to defer in spite of earning much less than the threshold amount (though even though I'd not received the deferment forms, I had sent them records of my earnings). I didn't receive anything from the student loans company until I heard from a debt collection agency which had been calling a place I sometimes do freelance work. I got in touch with student loans again and pointed out the registered letters i had sent to them changing my address and proving low income, they did not respond apart from a form saying that my loan is in process of being reclaimed from me. I got in touch with the debt collection agency to give them the right address. I have had another letter from the debt collection agency now saying that unless I contact them to arrange repayment, then they are escalating this up further. I am not coping well. As a freelance I earn less than £7k pa and had been struggling but managing (and managing not to claim any benefits). My question is: if I call the debt collection agency and agree a monthly repayment, how much can they force me to pay per month, when I have such a low income? Also will interest be put on to this? And if I agree repayment but continue to pursue a complaints procedure, Ombudsman etc. will any repayment agreement be able to stop if I win? I'm having trouble getting any information or help and am really quite desperate.