Student Loans Company - no contact

Confused_and_worried

Hi,

I am looking for some advice. I have spoken to CAB and think I may go on to seek legal advice but thought that this would be a good call too.
I graduated from University 8 years ago with a student loan debt. I have been in full-time employment since and they havent contacted me or requested replayments (although they claim to have sent letters). I recently become self employed and doing my annual tax return seems to have jogged the Student Loans Company into remembering me. They are demanding payment and because of the years gone by the interest has racked up!
I did try to contact them back in 2002 but they claimed to have no record of me and couldnt speak to me!
I am trying to find out if the loan could be statute barred or if they are allowed to proceed with reclaiming the debt.

Any advice would be so gratefully received as I am at a bit of a loss on what to do.
Thanks

Fiddlestick

Confused_and_worried wrote: »

I am trying to find out if the loan could be statute barred or if they are allowed to proceed with reclaiming the debt.

To my knowledge, student loans do not become statute barred nor can they be wiped out in a bankruptcy.

Taiko

From September 1998 new style or “income contingent” student loans include rules to say that repayments are automatically deducted directly from your wages or through your tax return if you are self employed. This means that the SLC are still allowed to take money from your wages for a loan over 6 years old as they do not have to go to court to do so.

MrsManda

As part of your obligations you should have kept the SLC up to date with your contact details so they can contact you.
Unless you have been in the same employment since you graduated you'll have had a P45 or filled out a P46. These forms have a box which should have been ticked if you have student loans so your employer knows to take student loan repayments.

As Taiko said, there's no statute bar on Student loans. It's your responsibility to keep up to date with repayments. Just be glad they're not trying to get you to repay the last 8 years worth of payments.
For a pdf of student loan T&Cs go HERE