SLC demanding repayment for unpaid sum caused by their own administrative error. Loan fully repaid!

adshov

I finished paying off my student loan in February 2019, or so I thought. After switching to direct debit for the final year to avoid overpayment I ended up settling up over the phone with a couple of odd payments of £44.16 and £3.77. As this seemed strange and I was keen to make sure I had really seen the back of my student loan I insisted on being sent a letter confirming I had paid it off. 
A few days later I received a letter to this effect, but which included a note about a sum I didn't recognise as below...
"Based on the deduction you advise was made in January 2019 for £289.00, you will be pleased to know your account has been paid in full".

I assumed this was included because perhaps at the time of my call their system hadn't yet registered the January installment of the regular sum of over £300 I'd been paying by direct debit, and perhaps the incorrect figure was a typo, and got on with my life free from the burden of student loan repayments.

Fast forward over two and a half years and last week I received a letter informing me that on reviewing their records they noticed an administrative error had double counted one of the payments taken from my wages in January 2018.

They say I still owe them £289, but have been good enough to waive the interest on this sum as long as I pay in full by the beginning of October. If I do nothing they will start deducting it from my salary in 45 days. 

My concern isn't necessarily the payment of the sum itself (although this is far from ideal), but the thought that another two years down the line I could receive another letter saying the same thing and I'd be equally helpless to do anything about it even if I have a letter stating I've paid my loan off in full.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

[Deleted User]

You just need to pay the outstanding balance. They've noticed the error and you've not been penalised in any way for it.

If another error comes to light in the future, you'll simply need to deal with at the time.