Student loan query

confusedkittycag8008

Hi, help needed! Today I received an email from student loans asking me to contact them about my loan. I was confused as I paid this off years ago. I duly phoned and was advised an ex employer had contacted HMRC in October 2024 to tell them they had submitted the wrong deductions from me in tax year 2012-2013 with a discrepancy of over £300 shortfall to the student loans company. It is of note I haven’t even been employed by this company since 2017. Student loans now say I owe this shortfall and it is gaining interest - despite also acknowledging they have it on record I have paid off the loan. They say that neither themselves or HMRC have the required records (P60) and that their hands are tied as the HMRC have passed this information to them. They say the onus is on me to contact the ex employer for further information. I have phoned and phoned but no answer. I have also googled and seen ex employers only keep P60’s for 3 years, so am really confused as to how I will manage to get the evidence I need. And also confused as to whether the SLC can enforce this as neither they nor HMRC have evidence beyond the ex employer contacting them 11 years later to say I had underpaid - but with seemingly no evidence provided. Am I really responsible for resolving this situation? I am anxious as interest is building on the amount ‘owed’. Thanks for any advice!

la531983

You don't have copies of the P60s yourself?

Brie

la531983 said:

You don't have copies of the P60s yourself?

from 2013?  why would anyone keep a P60 for 12 years?  I thought that 7 years was the necessary period.

badmemory

Not with P60s.  Due to the occasional fraudulent employer it is wise to keep every P60.  It is not unknown for an employer to deduct Tax & NI payments from employees without actually even registering them with HMRC as an employee.  Although that is much harder to do these days.  I always kept my payslips until I got my P60 & then checked that they added up to the figures on the P60.

silvercar

 I will move this to the student board.

la531983

Brie said:

la531983 said:

You don't have copies of the P60s yourself?

from 2013?  why would anyone keep a P60 for 12 years?  I thought that 7 years was the necessary period.

I've got mine since 2010.

silvercar

I throw out all tax papers after 7 years.

I think you need to contact the company concerned and find out how this has happened. The bottom line is that if they calculated wrongly and paid over £300 less then you will owe the money. The question will be whether they consider this arrears or whether it is only repayable now and are you near write off?