paying back student loan

jennmark

dont know if this is the right place to post this so will also put it in the loans section, but not sure if thats the right place either!
i am being made redundant at the end of the month and have just received my last pay slip. i am also 31 weeks pregnant so have received my smp in my pay packet, along with pay for untaken annual leave and lieu time. because it has all come together in one payment the student loans company has taken just over £600 out in repayments, i just wondered if i have any recourse to claim this back? if i dont then i guess i will just have to do without it, but i wondered because if i had not been paid my smp in a lump sum but had received it weekly/monthly as is the norm i would not have had to pay any student loan back as smp is too low to require repayments. it might not seem like a lot but its over 2 weeks worth of my wages and more than a months worth of smp, so if i can get it back (or even some of it) i would like to.
thanks in advance for any help,

Jen

Shah79

hmmm that's a toughie.

WHy don't you try the Citizens Advice Bureau? Or try ringing the students loan company and explain your situation.

melancholly

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/students/overpay_student_loan_6_2.htm

All easily done - although usually you have to wait until the end of the tax year to give proof from a P60 to get the money back. Give them a ring - they may be able to sort this out earlier since you're going to be on maternity leave.

Idiophreak

melancholly wrote: »

Give them a ring - they may be able to sort this out earlier since you're going to be on maternity leave.

...but don't hold your breath. In all my dealings with SLC I've found them to be mind-blowingly incompetent...

melancholly

Idiophreak wrote: »

...but don't hold your breath. In all my dealings with SLC I've found them to be mind-blowingly incompetent...

True - they frequently can be. But this is straightforward. It will probably require a long wait on hold to speak to someone. For plenty of people, things work fine. No point just being 100% negative though.... the OP is completely within her rights to claim the money back and there are established routes to get this. If a spanner does get thrown into the works, that's when it's time to complain. I don't see the benefit in 'just don't bother, it's all so terrible' responses......

Idiophreak

melancholly wrote: »

True - they frequently can be. But this is straightforward. It will probably require a long wait on hold to speak to someone. For plenty of people, things work fine. No point just being 100% negative though.... the OP is completely within her rights to claim the money back and there are established routes to get this. If a spanner does get thrown into the works, that's when it's time to complain. I don't see the benefit in 'just don't bother, it's all so terrible' responses......

I'm not suggesting OP doesn't bother trying. Just that she shouldn't be counting her chickens. SLC screw up the most simple of things over and over again, so it's only sensible to manage your expectations when dealing with them.

jennmark

thanks for the info, as i envisage spending a lot of time sat on the sofa feeding a baby in the not too distant future making phonecalls no matter how long and tedious should be possible!