Student Loan Company -General Info

[texanbar]

Thanks everyone for this interesting thread. I am just about to start my second year as a mature student, so this reading has given me a real heads up. Sorry I can't offer advice at the moment as I am not in any of your predicaments (thankfully) at present.

 

Good luck everyone.

x:)x

[darb34]

I would be grateful if anyone can offer advice on my predicament.

The situation is complicated so please bear with me as I try to explain it as simply as possible.

I am now a 62 year old pensioner.

As a mature student, I took out two Student Loans in 1995 and 1996.

Each subsequent year I applied for and was granted deferrment. In 1997 I went abroad and have not lived in UK since. I have not worked so never reached the income threshold to begin repaying the loans.

Because I was travelling (accompanying my husband in his overseas postings) it was difficult to send and receive mail promptly. I therefore had a post restante address in UK and mail was sent on to me wherever I was. This resulted in occasional delays, but I always kept SLC informed and as far as I was aware responded to their communications as quickly as possible. Several times I contacted them when the usual deferment application papers had not reached me at the appropriate times. I was careful to always apply for deferment each year. Nevertheless, SLC denied receiving my applications and claimed that I was in arrears.

I have disputed this claim but they are getting very heavy with me . I am so worried as they are saying that I owe almost £2000 in arrears and the interest is accumulating alarmingly fast.

In 2006, I received a letter from Wescot Services (SLC's nominated debt recovery company) saying that they were not pursuing the debt any further. I took this to mean that the matter was now settled and took no further action. However, deferment applications continued to arrive , so I filled them in and returned them together with a copy of Wescot's letter, reminding them that I had been told that the matter had been dropped. No response from them was ever recieved.

Earlier this year, I started to get very heavy letters from them demanding financial information on my circumstances. The information I supplied is that I will be 63 in October and my sole income is my State pension of £105 per week from which there is no remaining disposable element.

I am worried sick about the situation. I don't have access to additional funds. I believed (and still do ) that I had complied totally with the terms of the loan. I have always kept SLC informed but they deny receipt of two of my deferment applications.

I now always send my letters to them by recorded delivery as they so often deny receiving mail.

If you have any advice to contribute, I would be so grateful as the worry is affecting my health. I can see no way out of the situation. I live in the EU but not in the UK so I have no idea what SLC can do to me. I completely dispute their claim that I owe any arrears. Their record on "failing to receive" mail is very suspicious and there seems to be no truly independent adjudicator. The so-called independent assessor works within SLC so I don't see how he/she can really be independent.

[tortilla]

Hi darb 34

I hope this may help, I came across it on Martin Lewis's money saving forum courtesy os someone called "Finbar"

 

"Loans pre-1998 that haven't ever been in arrears are wiped clean 25 years after your repayments started (even if payments have previously been defferred), if you reach the age of 50 (60 if you were over 40 when you started the loan), if you become permenantly unfit to work or if you die.

 

If post-1998 loans haven't been repaid, possibly due to consistently earning less than the payments threshold, once you reach 65 (for loans taken before September 2006) or 25 years from the first April of graduation (for loans after September 2006) debts are wiped clean. They are also cancelled if you become permenantly unfit to work"

 

Cheers

[darb34]

Hi Tortilla,

Thanks for your reply.

I thought that debts were cancelled at age 60 too - but SLC claims that because they say I am in arrears, that doesn't apply.

I suspect that they engineer arrears to get around this entitlement but of course there's no way I can prove it. Catch 22.

[gatster]

I paid a large amount to the SLC (via Wescott) in 2004 which as I understood it was clearing my loans (all pre-98). I left the UK for a number of years and have now returned to find that none of my loans were actually paid off with this money, but instead it was aportioned between them, thus leaving me with 3 loans balances still outstanding. The sum paid in 2004 would have totally paid off at least two of the loans, is there any grounds for complaint here, I feel at this stage like they will just keep asking me for money.

 

Whenever I ask for an explanation I am fobbed off, and never (even though I've asked) receive correspondance explaining this?

[super_mario]

gatser - I have a similar predicament to yourself. Basically i was told it was paid off but 3 years later i found it wasnt which was due to a admin error they made 10 years previously and took 7 years to sort.

 

Just keep firing the letters off to them and make sure its very clearly marked as a complaint. It wasnt until i wrote a letter to the cheif exec and the majority of the management board that i actually got an acknowledgement of complaint! that was dated 28th sept with a promise to respond in ten days!

[2ltr16valve]

could you kind knowledgeable people please take a look at my thread ?

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/students/227759-student-finance-local-education.html

[Black Craw]

After a lull in communications from SLC they have once again started their phone harrassment nonsense. Nine years this has been ongoing. They claimed I had not returned a deferment form in 2000 and, although I had politely suggested that this was without doubt a clerical error on their part (recorded delivery slip as proof), this was ridiculed by their phone numpties. They said they didn't make clerical errors. I pointed out that I had in my possession a letter marked 'confidential' concerning the account of a Mr Capel of Brighton which had been sent to me in Scotland from the SLC which contained full details of his account but nothing in the envelope about my account; could this be considered a 'clerical error'? Clearly we have differing opinions as to definitions of 'clerical' and 'error'.

And so it goes; I have had solicitors, lawyers, an MSP and a Peer of the Realm acting on my behalf with regard to the behaviour of this QANGO but to no avail. They clearly believe themselves to be above the law: I believe them to be acting outwith the law. Just another bunch of cheap crooks. This year I am being less 'polite'. Take heart all you folks who get understandably worried by these cheap gangster tactics; remember the Nuremburg Trials? These guys are no different...just following orders!

[2ltr16valve]

After a lull in communications from SLC they have once again started their phone harrassment nonsense. Nine years this has been ongoing. They claimed I had not returned a deferment form in 2000 and, although I had politely suggested that this was without doubt a clerical error on their part (recorded delivery slip as proof), this was ridiculed by their phone numpties. They said they didn't make clerical errors. I pointed out that I had in my possession a letter marked 'confidential' concerning the account of a Mr Capel of Brighton which had been sent to me in Scotland from the SLC which contained full details of his account but nothing in the envelope about my account; could this be considered a 'clerical error'? Clearly we have differing opinions as to definitions of 'clerical' and 'error'.

And so it goes; I have had solicitors, lawyers, an MSP and a Peer of the Realm acting on my behalf with regard to the behaviour of this QANGO but to no avail. They clearly believe themselves to be above the law: I believe them to be acting outwith the law. Just another bunch of cheap crooks. This year I am being less 'polite'. Take heart all you folks who get understandably worried by these cheap gangster tactics; remember the Nuremburg Trials? These guys are no different...just following orders!

 

 

Contact this office mate -

 

Minister of State (Higher Education and

Intellectual Property)

 

Private Office to The

 

Rt Hon David Lammy MP

 

Telephone: 020 7215 5923

 

Email: [email protected]

 

this is the mp who under legislation has power over slc debts

 

Anything posted above is all Public information in the public domain from gov website

[Black Craw]

Good Morning! Many thanks for your reply; much appreciated. I will scroll through the .gov site as suggested. I'm not sure though, whether Lammy would be the guy for me as this is Scotland and we have our own 'pigs at the trough', and the last time I had an MSP look into this he was fobbed off by the SLC (as was Lord K).

In the last two days I have had eleven phone calls from SLC and another at 9.15 am today: this has ceased to be annoying...we've gone on to another level altogether - it's insanity!

But I do thank you for your response - it's good to know others are in the same boat. Perhaps organising the 1000s who are unfairly persecuted by the SLC scams would be a step in the right direction? It seems scandalous enough to me and we're all voters (although, as the ex-mayor of London once said, "If voting changed anything, they'd have banned it years ago." Thanks Ken).

[2ltr16valve]

Good Morning! Many thanks for your reply; much appreciated. I will scroll through the .gov site as suggested. I'm not sure though, whether Lammy would be the guy for me as this is Scotland and we have our own 'pigs at the trough', and the last time I had an MSP look into this he was fobbed off by the SLC (as was Lord K).

In the last two days I have had eleven phone calls from SLC and another at 9.15 am today: this has ceased to be annoying...we've gone on to another level altogether - it's insanity!

But I do thank you for your response - it's good to know others are in the same boat. Perhaps organising the 1000s who are unfairly persecuted by the SLC scams would be a step in the right direction? It seems scandalous enough to me and we're all voters (although, as the ex-mayor of London once said, "If voting changed anything, they'd have banned it years ago." Thanks Ken).

 

 

Give them a call mate, they will point you in the right direction at worst

 

What you have to keep in mind is legislation, nothing else. Read it, read it again.... the only person under legislation who has power over the slc is sec of state (staff).... a local MP would get fobbed off, as they dont know the legislation and prob can not be bothered to look into it in detail.

[Black Craw]

OK...I'm on it....thanks again.

[wycombemariner]

I've got my charges statement back from the Student Loans company, but I'm struggling to find a template for the next letter i send asking for a refund?

 

Can anyone help me, by cutting & pasting a copy of the first letter you send to them, asking for the money back? People keep posting me links on other threads but they aren't sending me to the right letter?

[Keffs]

Thanks for this thread - I'm sending my SAR off today.

Edited November 16, 2009 by Keffs

[noomill060]

I've got my charges statement back from the Student Loans company, but I'm struggling to find a template for the next letter i send asking for a refund?

 

Can anyone help me, by cutting & pasting a copy of the first letter you send to them, asking for the money back? People keep posting me links on other threads but they aren't sending me to the right letter?

 

Use the CAG bank charge preliminary letter in the CAG library and adapt to suit.

[englishineire]

Wow it's been a few years since anyone added to this thread, but the info here is priceless - thanks Badger.

 

I've started my own thread also, it's showthread.php?304653-Student-Loan-Company-Help-from-Ireland-please

 

It seems like they're constantly getting people's addresses mixed up, no doubt this is due to their backend computer systems - perhaps a government audit is in order?

 

It's intersting to know that the charges they apply are not legally enforcable - somehow I owe a total of £16.5k from a loan of £10k or £13k (yes they can't decide how much I borrowed!) - and I'm now wondering how much of this total is made up by charges.

 

I'll let you know how it goes with my thread on this thread - as I hope to get this resolved asap.

 

If anyone has any advice, please by all means let me know

[Keffs]

Wow it's been a few years since anyone added to this thread, but the info here is priceless - thanks Badger.

 

I've started my own thread also, it's showthread.php?304653-Student-Loan-Company-Help-from-Ireland-please

 

It seems like they're constantly getting people's addresses mixed up, no doubt this is due to their backend computer systems - perhaps a government audit is in order?

 

It's intersting to know that the charges they apply are not legally enforcable - somehow I owe a total of £16.5k from a loan of £10k or £13k (yes they can't decide how much I borrowed!) - and I'm now wondering how much of this total is made up by charges.

 

I'll let you know how it goes with my thread on this thread - as I hope to get this resolved asap.

 

If anyone has any advice, please by all means let me know

 

My advice is phone them and enquire how much of your loan is made up of penalty charges. Send them the SAR etc and immediate send official written request to remove from your account. They will refuse, send a LBA, then proceed to small claims court when you receive no comms from them.

if your experience is anything like mine, they will phone and offer to settle out of court immediately. It costs them nothing as these charges are just bits of paper and should they go to court an lose, there would be a deluge of claims.

Good luck and if you need any advice ask.

[englishineire]

Hi Keffs,

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

I actually raised a complaint with the SLC re: poor correspondance with overseas customers.

 

Long story short, after 3 weeks of no response after rejecting their request for me to send personal information information via email (for a trivial question that applies to all overseas people), an individual from the compliants dept called me.

 

We discussed the compliant and my situation, and he promised to help with both.

So far, he's printed out a statement, scanned it and mailed it to me (so they can do this via email when they initially claim they can't).

 

There's no charges listed, but discrepancies in it against some details an advisor told me on the phone 2 weeks previously.

 

The interst charges seem inconsistant with the fixed interest rates they publish on the website (they go up and down) and the amounts seem excessive sometimes.

 

So I stated that I would like to dispute these transactions for investigation and suggested a full audit on my account (their software should be fully auditable).

 

This was all done via email - and I've had no reply for a few days now...

[Keffs]

Hi Keffs,

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

I actually raised a complaint with the SLC re: poor correspondance with overseas customers.

 

Long story short, after 3 weeks of no response after rejecting their request for me to send personal information information via email (for a trivial question that applies to all overseas people), an individual from the compliants dept called me.

 

We discussed the compliant and my situation, and he promised to help with both.

So far, he's printed out a statement, scanned it and mailed it to me (so they can do this via email when they initially claim they can't).

 

There's no charges listed, but discrepancies in it against some details an advisor told me on the phone 2 weeks previously.

 

The interst charges seem inconsistant with the fixed interest rates they publish on the website (they go up and down) and the amounts seem excessive sometimes.

 

So I stated that I would like to dispute these transactions for investigation and suggested a full audit on my account (their software should be fully auditable).

 

This was all done via email - and I've had no reply for a few days now...

 

At least they are engaging with you and addressing your complaint. I can only speak knowledgably on the penalty charge situation, whereby they charge you £20 a letter for correspondence etc. As far as interest is concerned, I cant really see you having any worthwhile complaint - I very much doubt that they have charged you too much.

Good luck.

[JonnyMellor]

I have recently had considerable problems reclaiming money owed to me from the student loans company. They are very slow returning emails (at times not returning them at all) and the very fact that they have owed me £2000 yet I have had to make about 7 emails and 3 phone calls to try to rectify this is very frustrating.

Anyway, rather than just rant, I have a specific question. I had finally got together my payslips so that the last £350 could be repaid to me and after 3 weeks of unanaswered emails I have been told that they only accept scanned copies of pay slips not the digital photographs I took (which are crystal clear). A couple of months ago they accepted photographs as evidence and I do not own a scanner. Is there any justifiable reason for accepting scanned copies but not accepting digital photos? I have never had a problem from any other company with this method of sending copies.

[Natalie Thomas]

Does anybody know how i can get an update on my current balance, they always send me one that seems to be out of date?

[pentiumofborg]

Try ringing them and if you don't agree with the current balance, send them a Data Protection Act 1998 request and work it all out from that information (see library for letter). After that, if there's a discrepancy take them to court for the difference. They will always avoid Court. They're quite keen to set the Courts on us so I don't see why we should hesitate to do so.

Edited December 6, 2011 by pentiumofborg
error

[DisabledPerson]

Hello,

 

I appreciate people are trying to establish an information thread but I am literally climbing the walls now and need some advice if any is available.

 

I started a course way back in 1996 and received a loan, shortly after I became disabled. I received another loan in 1997 and another in 1998. My condition deteriorated and by 1999 I was classified as being sverely disabled and chucked on the scrap heap. I was told not to worry about the loans as they would be written off. Today the Student Loans Comapny are still harassing and threatening me. Only one loan was written off and that took a hospital Consultant, my G.P and two seperate teams of C.A.B writing and making phone calls. The one loan was written off as SLC stated they were satisfied that I wouldn't be able to work again and satisfied the criteria for writing the loan off. This was verbally given to the CAB the SLC wouldn't put it in writing and they refuse to write the other two off stating that the process would have to be repeated for each seperate loan but they have already had the letters from all these people and they refuse to write again because as they rightfully say it's unnecessary.

 

The Financial Ombudsman won't get involved, AdviceUK just say pay up, National Debtline just want to discuss a repayment scheme and the CAB and the MP are just bouncing it back and forth between themselves. I'd take legal action but I've been told I can't get legal aid for a 'debt problem'. Tried a few other 'advice organisations' that say in not so many words that as the SLC is run by the Government that nobody will go up against them. I'm so sick of this harassment and having xmas ruined every year for the last 12 years with their nasty letters. I'm supposed to avoid stress, I've developed a heart condition now. Surely they can't get away with this forever and someone somewhere must be able to stop them!

Edited December 23, 2011 by DisabledPerson

[daveydavey]

don't be afraid of them isn't it in the legislation somewhere that if you are unable to work again then the loans are written off ? they're trying to put the frighteners on you, invite them to take you to Court & tell them you will vigorously defend the case & counterclaim as your circumstances meet the conditions making you eligible for the loans to be written off. As you are an individual, the case will be held in your local County Court. If you need further help then post here. I do not see why evidence you have already provided should not be regarded as sufficient for all of the loans you took out. I'd refuse to pay anything just keep urging them to take you to Court. I'll dig out the legislation re deferment , link here :

 

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/211/schedules/made

 

*** " The lender will cancel the borrower’s liability to repay the loan if the borrower—

(a)dies,

(b)is not behind on any repayments under any agreement for a student loan and—

(i)was under the age of 40 when his last agreement for a student loan was made and he reaches the age of 50 or when the last agreement for a student loan has been outstanding for not less than 25 years, whichever is the sooner, or

(ii)was aged 40 or older when his last agreement for a student loan was made and he reaches the age of 60, or

©if the borrower can show the lender that he gets a disability related benefit and because of his disability is permanently unfit for work. " ***

 

So you see, the Law states quite clearly that you *do not* have to pay back the loans. Remember the huge amount of student loan arrears have been bought up by private companies who are of course seeking a return on their investment. These means that the SLC & others will ignore the law when it suits them in order to keep applying pressure on people, in your case a severely disabled person, to pay back student loans even when they are no longer liable for repayment. Urge them to take you to Court & tell them you will publicise the case. The fact that they have already agreed to write off one loan has also set a precedent. What is the difference between the one loan they have written off & the ones they havent ?

[dx100uk]

this thread is going to be locked now

we will leave it up it for ref

 

but we really need people to start their own threads

rather than issues getting hidden and cag/slc not seeing the extend of the issues they have

that need sorting

 

having multiple threads thus gets this done.

 

dx

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