Should I include pension contributions in loan app

tenchy

I'm currently going through the tortuous procedure of applying for a student loan for my son, who'll be going to uni this year. I've now had several letters from "studentfinance england" asking for clarification of my income. The latest from them is a request to prove my pension contributions. They've said that unless I do this they'll exclude the pension contributions from the "means tested" calculations.

Basic question - is it worth including my pension contributions; they amount to about £7400 pa gross?

Thanks.

maple41

In a word, Yes. It reduces the gross amount of your income. This may or may not make a big difference to the amount of grant allocated. In my case they accepted sight of the original letter confirming the pension contribution. You can also use your annual statement from the pension company.

tenchy

That's what I thought, otherwise they would not be so quick to exclude it.
Thanks.