Student loan problem

nickwoodward

Hi everyone, would really appreciate some advice if anyone can help, always read good info on here so I hope so.

In my last two pay cheques I've been docked student loan payments. I started uni in 2003 and applied for a loan, as far as I remember it was accepted, but I never took the payment. I can't quite remember how the process works, but baring some kind of seizure I'm 100% sure I never took or received a loan. I survived by working, with some help from my parents, and on 2 student overdrafts.

I know I should contact HMRC and the slc (and my employer) but obviously they're all closed over the holidays - and this has got me quite freaked out!

Obviously it's been 10 years - due to bad circumstance I only had a job for one of those where the payment would've been deductible (the following year after graduating) - and nothing was taken from my pay.

I've received no communication from them, ever, despite being on the electoral roll and my address being known to the coucil. in fact this is the first I've thought about them in a decade. Surely if push came to shove they'd have to provide evidence of a payment?

Any advice to calm me down? I can't contact anyone till Wednesday and I can feel it's going to wreck the rest of the holidays for me I'm weird like that.

Sorry for the ramblings...

Nick

badmemory

So you didn't take out any maintenance loans then is that what you are saying? But what about the cost of the courses you took? Did you also pay for those up front or is that what they are taking the payments for?

I wouldn't try your employer with this - they will only be doing what they are told to do. The previous job you had may not have had a large enough income to enable the student loan deduction/tax or it could have been before the repayments would have been due. I believe this is the April after the end of the degree course.

nickwoodward

Hi badmemory,

Yes, if I remember rightly I paid my tuition myself the first year, and my folks paid my accommodation. Id worked the previous year so could afford it. That then switched in the 2nd and 3rd years.

My worry is that I won't be able to prove I never took the money. Hsbc probably won't be able to help with those statements (although I might still have paper copies....) from 2003.

Does anyone know what the system or process was back then for taking the loan? I seem to remember my friends had to reapply each term, or got installments. The problem is I don't know anything about how it was done because I don't think I ever went through with the loan, although I did the initial application process.

How much was the initial loan? From memory when I applied I was eligible for the basic amount, not anything else.

Is it not strange that I've had no contact? I've been to their website, and it talks about account and reference numbers - none of which I have. Oh and Re that job, it was 21k basic but amounted to about 30k with end of year bonuses. Not sure if that qualifies.

Thanks for your help

nickwoodward

Oh and I started the job pretty much the following April...