Student Finance Complaints Process

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  • Taiko
    Taiko Posts: 2,711
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    Can I just check, is that saying the council used a current year assessment for this current academic year, or a previous year?
  • The council used a current year's assessment for 2009/10 and have to apply it to 2010/11 and 2011/12 so it's a triple whammy.

    I queried this for the 2010/11 year as far as MP and David Willetts as our income 2 years previously (2008/9) had been much less, but it was insisted that we had to use our 2009/10 income again. We fell in the trap of the income assessed being 2 years ago rather than one and never got to use our really lean year.
  • bernih wrote: »
    Finally. My daughters are to get their grants next week. Hope you have similar luck soon.

    Really glad for you. It must be a weight off your mind - and theirs.
  • bernih
    bernih Posts: 34
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    They are delighted. They both get over £4,000 next week (a years grant and a terms loan).
    I am a mature student and the SFC sorted my money in days. So I have no idea why it took so long for the girls. They were using the same details of my previous earnings.
  • It is now in the hands of my MP and his caseworkers.

    He even rermbered my name from previous emails regarding Equitable Life and Student Finance current year's asessment queries! Quite impressed with that, but it is an unusual name.

    Let's see what they can do. I wonder how long I should wait? Still nothing from SF compalints process - they are over running their performance standards again.
  • bernih
    bernih Posts: 34
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    SFC are still screwing up. Only 1 daughter has got her grant. The other is home now after her exams. A whole year at uni and they still have failed to deliver.
  • Well, I'm not getting anywhere. It is over a month since I spoke to my MP at his surgery. Nothing yet.

    It is over a month since I replied by recorded delivery to a Head of Service pointing out their error. Nothing yet.

    I have complained again asking it to be escalated to the next stage in the complaints process - an independent assessor - and they have even ignored that. They should reply within 5 working days.

    So much for a published complaints service.What is one to do? Yet another academic year has gone by without this being sorted out.

    I have just emailed my MP again for advice.
  • Taiko
    Taiko Posts: 2,711
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    Keep me updated. I'll try and contact someone.
  • I have heard nothing yet from my MP apart from auto reply.

    Also, still no response from customer complaints to my request for an escalation of the compaint.

    I have just emailed David Willetts (again) asking how to get complaints dealt with. I didn't even get an auto reply from him last time so I'm not holding out much hope.

    I may be needing some help soon Taiko. I'm not sure how long to wait.
  • Well, things may be moving a little less slowly.
    I have finally had an email from my MP 2 weeks after I chased him up saying a case worker was chasing SF and will get back to me. That was 11 days ago. Still waiting.

    Yesterday I had an email from the offices of David Willetts (strangley from "Sheffield Correspondence"), the first response I have had after emails sent on 13th April and 10th June.

    Apparently SF have responded to him that they have no record of my asking for the complaint to be escalated to an Independent Assessor despite logging all their emails and checking. The client reference numbers were in the email I sent to David Willetts so I don't know what is happening there. Is it an attempt to cover up inadequacies?

    I have resent my email with the escalation request to customer complaints AND also SF's automated response (both dated 28th May).
    I have received another automated resoponse so they have 5 working days. I have added that if my son's university will not pay him his missing bursary because the academic years have ended he willl be pursuing the SLC for the £1600 they have lost him.

    They will also owe my sons a considerable amount of underpaid grant.

    Am I getting anywhere? I wonder.
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