Student Loans Company

[stewilko]

Could anybody help, I returned to University after 14 years being disabled due a car accident in 1994, before returning I contacted my local education authority seeking approval becuase I knew I had funding from the student loans company and a grant over 12 years ago. They advised me there shoud'nt be any problems in funding. A month after sending in my application for a grant and then getting on my course to do my degree iI received a telephone call from the local education authority. The telephone call was very starnge, they said had received from 'me', a letter stating i was deceased, the account with SLC had been 'frozen'. To cut a long story short the girl stated that i was 'dead', and they had received a death certificate and it was now on my file. This was quickly cleard up, and what had actually happend was that somebody else's SLC account had been mixed up with mine. I was granted the financies and started my degree.

 

This morning 10th September I received a letter from the student loans company stating I owe them £485, a loan that was takien out in 1994. I phoned them (wish I didn't) the girl on the phone stated that the loan was taken out in 1992 and 1994, now (2007) the total is £1400 and I had to pay it today. I said in not so many words I couldn't. She said that because i cant pay no further funding will be given, thus stopping from returning to do my final year of study on my degree. Can anybody give me any advice what I could do, how I stand with this loan, the last time I wrote to SLC was 1998.

 

Sorry for this question, just feel sick to the stomach

 

Steve

[noomill060]

Answered on the other thread, come back here and use this as your main thread.

[CAGisforME]

Copied and pasted from the other thread.....

 

 

 

Let's see if we can break it down.

 

So, your Local Education Authority say there should be nothing barring you from finishing your Education as far as they are concerned... Good, get on to them immediately and let them know what the SLC said.

 

Next, the SLC.

 

Firstly, Do NOT, whatever you do, no matter how much you are worried, or how much you want to let off steam, talk to the again on the phone.

 

You are wasting your time. Completely.

 

They are trained rottweillers whose only pleasure in life is to make everyone's life a misery. Not only do they not know the law, they make threats and, as you have seen, are completely unreasonable.

 

I'm not sure about the issue of "Statute Barred" with the SLC. I seem to remember that they are exempt. The best place for advice is the Welfare Office of your University. They will no doubt be well versed in the SLC and their tricks.

 

Whilst you have been disabled the loan shouuld have been being deferred for 3 years at a time and, if you are now in full time education, should not require payments in the meantime.

 

The Welfare Office at the Uni and the Student Union are really the best people to help here, however, I'll take some time to check out the rules and come back to you at some point this evening.

 

[CAGisforME]

OK, I've had a think about this one.

 

I think the most important thing is to ascertain why they are saying you can't continue to get help to complete the Course. This seems to fly in the face of what they were set up for in the first place.

 

Whilst you are supposed to start paying off your loan once you have left your Course and reached the earnings required, it's not reasonable to expect you to repay what you have borrowed until you finish, in my opinion. Unless of course you weren't going to return.

 

However, I have a few questions, in order to try and give the correct advice here.

You say you returned to Uni. When did you return?

 

They sent you a letter stating you owe £485. Has this loan been deferred since you left Uni, on a regular basis? How long was each deferrment?

 

Have you had any statements from them since you last wrote to them in 1998?

 

I think it's important to ascertain why the figure quoted on the 'phone was £1400, did the operative specify? Has the loan had charges attached to it?

 

Have you moved since you last wrote to them? Did you keep in contact with them to ensure deferrment etc?

 

Sorry to question you, it's just all the above make a difference as to how you should approach this.

 

[stewilko]

Firstly thanks for the advice. I returned to university in 2006, going into my final year. The information I obtained from the girl on the phone today was that this from a loan I obtained from them in 1994. The actual figure on the letter is £485, but she said the figure on my account with them is £1400. Which confused me. This had been deferred from the time I left university in 1994.

 

I've had no communication from them from 1998, they girl said today that the account with them was closed because they believed that i was 'decessed'. This was due to somebody's else's account mixed up with mine.

 

Not sure what charges have been applied to the loan, probably substanstial from 1994.

 

I have moved home alot since 1998, but had no contact with them. It was only in 2006 when I contacted my Local Education Authority with the sole purpose of enquiring about what help I would receive, they told me I would have no problem in receiving financial help.

[noomill060]

As its SLCs own fault they thought you had been dead since 1998, they can hardly expect you to be liable for penalties since then.

 

(Though I'm sure that there was jubilation in Glasgow as the news that the rumours of your demise have been exaggerated!)

 

[CAGisforME]

Hi Steve,

 

Well, no problem about giving advice, it's important to ascertain certain things to make sure you get the RIGHT advice!

 

This had been deferred from the time I left university in 1994.

 

So you were filling out the deferment paperwork regularly and sending it bak with proof of income? Was this always done on time and have you got the paperwork stating the loan was deferred until x date?

 

I've had no communication from them from 1998, they girl said today that the account with them was closed because they believed that i was 'decessed'. This was due to somebody's else's account mixed up with mine.

I will deal with this in a mo.

 

Not sure what charges have been applied to the loan, probably substanstial from 1994.

 

In order to find out what has happened re: charges etc, you are going to need to send an Subject Access Request. You need to request FULL disclosure of all data held on you, including, but not limited to, the Credit Agreement, statements since the account was opened and all records of calls etc. Once you have requested this they have 40 days to comply in full.

 

The letter you need can be found in the site's library.

 

When you say you have had no contact with them, how did you defer then?

 

What I think is likely is that, whether the account was deferred properly or not, they have been adding charges once they ceased to be able to contact you. Did you inform them you had moved?

 

Now, re the information regarding your death being somewhat premature(!) I think it's important that the Local Authority also thought you had passed on, and had your info confused with the deceased party as they will be able to confirm to you (and therefore the SLC) that this was the case.

 

What I don't understand is why they closed the account because you were supposedly in your grave, but have also managed to seemingly add charges here and there to an account of a "dead" person, whose account they had supposedly closed.

 

All the above aside obviously it's imperative that you get your loan for this year to ensure you can finish your course, this is where the Welfare department of your Uni will be able to help.

[CAGisforME]

As its SLCs own fault they thought you had been dead since 1998, they can hardly expect you to be liable for penalties since then.

 

Exactly noomil - can't believe these clowns!!

 

What we need to ascertain is whether the account was deferred correctly until the supposed "death". If it was then no way can Steve be liable, as he didn't tell them he was dead and they stopped writing to him.

 

If it wasn't then the charges up until the notice of the "death" will probably be more difficult to fight.

 

An SAR will disclose this information, although they may well be reluctant to cough it up!!

[CAGisforME]

Steve, you can use this as your "Starter for Ten" with SLC. See what this throws up:

 

 

 

Customer Assistance Team,

Student Loans Company Ltd,

100 Bothwell Street,

Glasgow,

G2 7JD

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

I hereby make a Subject Access Request under the Data Protection Act 1998 and request that the Student Loans Company Ltd. supply me with the following:

 

1) a complete list of transactions and charges relating to my history with your organisation (trading as either the Student Loans Company, Smith Lawson & Co [which I understand to be one and the same], or any other name);

 

2) where there has been any event in my account history which has required manual intervention, disclosure of any indications, notes or other evidence by any member of staff or any other person, which either caused or resulted in manual interventions in relation to my business with you (If you are unable to supply this data because there has been no such manual intervention, then please be so kind as to confirm this in your response);

 

3) records of decisions and communications relating to any changes to my credit status/history made by your organisation.

 

I enclose a cheque for the statutory maximum fee of £10 for which I would like a receipt by return of post.

 

As per the Data Protection Act 1998 you have 40 days from the date of this letter in which to comply with this request. Failure to do so fully will be reported to the Information Commissioner and I will seek compensation through the Courts

[stewilko]

Thanks for the above letter, i will post this off first thing in the morning and will keep you informed of the out-come. Once again many thanks for the help

[CAGisforME]

Steve,

 

Don't sign the letter with your "normal" signature and my advice is to send a Postal Order.

 

Meanwhile get an appointment with the Welfare Office of the Uni and see if they can help you sort finance whilst you are battling the clowns in Glasgow.

 

[stewilko]

Just an a quick reply to the advice given, I phoned student services at the uni i'm attending. They suggest that I give student loan company a call and ask the to set up a repayment figure to pay back the sum whilst I continue with my studies. Not phoned the SLC yet, going to take your advice from this site, after the way they dealt with my situation yesterday.

I have posted the above letter for a "Subject Access Request" (not signed) and the required fee. Just a waiting game now I suppose to see there reaction. My only concern is that they 'play games' with me and i'm left in a situation where I cannot start back in October on my final year.

[noomill060]

For Gods sake, dont phone them!! You would get more sense out of a stoned ferret!

 

Write to them, get it in writing, always get it in writing.

[CAGisforME]

Noomil is correct.

 

Send a letter demanding they sort this out immediately, or alternatively give you your loan for this year, in order for you to complete your course and MEANWHILE you will be willing to negotiate with them for repayment once you have all the information requested in the SAR.

 

I would NOT telephone them as they will not talk to you about anything else except the "arrears" that they claim you owe.

 

You can try if you really want to, but be prepared to INSIST on speaking to a Supervisor immediately rather than the trained monkeys.

 

But, to be honest, I doubt you'll get very far, from experience.

 

Good Luck.

 

[na05]

Can anyone tell me what happens is SLC actualy take you to court - does the interest get reduced if you are not in a position to pay?

I have loans from 1996/7 and because I failed to return deferment forms in 2000 they demanded the whole lot back. As a single parent on benefit I agreed to pay £5 a month to stop them taking me to court, and have kept up this payment ever since. I now realise this in no way covers the interest and my debt is just getting bigger. I have never earned anywhere near the repayment threshhold and can not see that I will be able to repay this debt, or increase my monthly payments, in the near future. Would I be better of going to court even if this means getting a CCJ?

I ve got nowhere talking to SLC! Any advice?