Student Finance Complaints Process

melancholly · 1 July 2011 at 2:00PM

i think you have remarkable patience..... might be time to vent at your MP in person? i wish i knew what to suggest to make this faster..... at least there is some progress?!

devildog · 1 July 2011 at 7:15PM

Hope you get it sorted soon-I know how frustrating and long winded it can be. I recently submitted an appeal, received a response saying I shouldn't be asking for an appeal but for a reassessment! Emailed back to appeal team stating all things that had happened(dates/times etc) and why I wanted someone other than the reassessment team to look at it and that if SF were incapable of correctly assessing students entitlement then I would have no other option than to approach MP. Couple of hours later I received a phone call-sorted

!!

Taiko · 1 July 2011 at 7:32PM

Agreed.

Offer is still there if needbe.

scarlet-pimpernel · 8 July 2011 at 12:25PM

Well, since my last post I have had a phone call from my MP's case worker saying SF had not responded to her enquiries and she would chase them up. Nothing of course within the 5 working days from customer complaints.

Devildog, I originally tried appeals too but was brushed off as my compalint was not to do with how the law is applied, yet the SF leaflet "How to Appeal" says:

"If you think a decision we have made in relation to your funding application is incorrect, you may have the right to appeal. An appeal is a formal request to Student Finance England asking us to review our decision either on whether you are entitled to financial help or on the amount of funding we have awarded to you.

An appeal relates to decisions about your funding based on how we interpret the law. If you are unhappy with the standard of service you've received you should use our complaints process."

I will take your lead and resubmit my appeal as I think it fits the above criteria.

Taiko. I have you on standby! I'm sure you have plenty to do, but the offer of help is very comforting.

scarlet-pimpernel · 8 July 2011 at 1:09PM

OK, I have submitted an appeal (again) to formal appeals.

Let's see what happens.

devildog · 8 July 2011 at 7:44PM

Good luck with it. They sent me the same response and as helpline was giving out wrong info (and they had it corroborated with a supervisor!) I had little faith. What I find really disturbing is how many students are being wrongly assessed but don't know any different and just accept what they are being told. The calculations are reasonably simple and I would urge everyone to check their entitlement. I have also found that if they request 'proof' which you supply but for whatever reason they will not accept it they will not actually tell you this and ask for further proof-they just 'let it go'. Looking back I find that one of my two was not given their correct entitlement in year 1 either and even though the amount is not a great deal it still means that portion will have gone on to the loan side of things.

I was wondering if anyone/organisation has done a 'Freedom of Information' requesting how many MP's are acting on behalf on constituents regarding Student Finance. I would imagine that there are a few.

Taiko · 8 July 2011 at 9:25PM

If you think an assessment might be wrong, you can PM me everything and I'll do a manual assessment.

melancholly · 8 July 2011 at 9:34PM

devildog wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone/organisation has done a 'Freedom of Information' requesting how many MP's are acting on behalf on constituents regarding Student Finance. I would imagine that there are a few.

i would imagine it hit an all time high last year when so many loans weren't paid in time..... you'd think in all the changes they're making in the whole higher education restructuring mess that the SLC would get some attention. they need more staff and some (many?) need better training. of course that 'won't save money', but it would make lives easier for so many students!

devildog · 9 July 2011 at 7:42PM

My two have received amended (and correct

) entitlement letters this morning. That's my battle over with them for another year, no doubt will have to go another round(or two) next year.

SehDavies · 11 July 2011 at 3:50PM

Does anyone know if there is an onbudsman for this bunch? 14 months since we first applied and the process still has not been completed - bursary worth a few hundreds in the balance!!

Student Finance Complaints Process

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