Student Loan Problem: living in Australia

silentstar

OK, I have a little problem and could do with some advice if any is forthcoming before proceeding

I am from the UK, but I have been living in Australia for approximately 2 years. I do not intend on returning to live in the UK in the foreseeable future.

I started univseristy in 1997 and ended in 2002 (a few bumps on the way, hence the 5 years not 3)

When I moved to Australia I informed the Student Loan Company of my new address and have sorted payments with them, which are taken out each month from my UK account. Problematic, but manageable.

About six months ago I began to get letters from a debt agency telling me that I had not paid my loan and owed somewhere in the region of 3000 pounds.

I queried this, given I have been paying my loans for some time now, even before I left the UK. What I have been told is that this pertains to a loan with a separate company - The Honours Student Loans company

I am aware that the SLC transferred a number of accounts to the HSL at some point, but...

I have five account numbers with SLC, which are for the five student loans I have taken out in my time at university (or so I assume). When I provided this information to the debt agency, they informed me that the debt from HSL was in addition to these five accounts.

Furthermore, this debt has been outstanding since 2006. I can only imagine this may have occurred on or about when I changed banks in that year (although I did transfer my direct debits, including the student loans). I had kept all relevant bodies advised of my address in the UK prior to moving to Australia, so why wait over 5 years before chasing it up, and after I've moved abroad?

There are two issues of confusion for me
1) if all five accounts apply to the SLC, and I am repaying this loan, why is there a further account with an additional debt?
2) why have the HSL not been in contact before now? Before 2011 I had only lived in the UK - I can't see how they could not know where I was

If I do owe the additional debt then I will pay it off. Despite not living in the UK, nor intending to return, I would like to clear the loan (you never know what may happen in the future, and I don't like having any kind of debt). My query relates to the confusion above, since I am not willing to simply start paying money back that I don't need to and if there has been an error.

Anyone have any suggestions about what has happened? Next steps etc.?
Many thanks

Dragonista

Have you been paying the correct threshold? I'm overseas as well and I owe a lot more per month than if I were in the UK. (9% of income over the threshold). It may be that they've only just realised you've been paying the wrong amount.

Give them a call (I use Skype, a pain in the neck with the time difference). They're quite helpful when you want to give them money

NB I attend uni later than you and have a "new style" loan so maybe this would make a difference? It changed for course starting after 1998, since you did 5 years you may have a bit of both?

silentstar

I don't think that's it - this is about a separate group to the SLC getting in touch and saying I owe them money. I had been paying back money to the SLC long before 2006

Poolie

HSL took over loans which were pre-1997, so did you start any higher education course between 1990 and 1997 and failed to finish for which you took a loan? Otherwise you will need to ask HSL for the details of the loan and have this confirmed with SLC.

It is odd to have 5 different account numbers, do you get separate paperwork for each? If so, you should ask SLC to have them combined.

silentstar

Yeah, I was thinking about querying HSL about the loan due to that - my first loan was 1997/98 academic year. Also, the size of the debt, even taking into account interest, is more indicative of two loan amounts, rather than just one.

Tried to get the numbers merged. but was told I couldn't do that (apparently SLC hasn't learnt the idea of integrating accounts). I do wonder if that isn't the reason for the confusion.

Poolie

silentstar wrote: »

Yeah, I was thinking about querying HSL about the loan due to that - my first loan was 1997/98 academic year. Also, the size of the debt, even taking into account interest, is more indicative of two loan amounts, rather than just one.

Tried to get the numbers merged. but was told I couldn't do that (apparently SLC hasn't learnt the idea of integrating accounts). I do wonder if that isn't the reason for the confusion.

You could have different loan account numbers for each year, because when your details were input they didn't match the records to the previous year and this happened every year. I know they have problems merging the accounts, but they can't place notes on the account so others can see there are other accounts in your name. This is why you ended up with one loan held by HSL and the rest by SLC. SLC should be able to help you out as they will be able to contact HSL on your behalf and sort out the situation.

pauletruth

so its an old style loan that has not been paid in 6 years its statute barred.
don't let them take control you say whatshappening. theirs very little they can do to you.