Home Home, Law & Money
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Read the community guidelines before posting ✨

Student loan company repayments

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I graduated from my BSc a year ago, and have since been studying for a PhD. I am being paid for these studies, but I am exempt from paying tax.

I received a letter from the student loan company asking for proof of my status (i.e. eligibility to repay the loan). I replied, filling in the details for the option "in further education" and including a letter stating my student status from the university. The SLC sent the form back to me, saying they required proof of income, either my own or a relative's if I am not financially supporting myself.

How should I proceed? Can I just send them a payslip? What I don't want is for a payslip to be misinterpreted as me simply working, and then for the SLC to start charging me repayments. I'm not saying that they're imcompetent, but I have spent many hours on the phone to them in the past. Last time I called I was talking for half an hour trying to clear security, before the member of staff finally indicated she had assumed I was an undergraduate, and I corrected her, after which she said I was okay to pass the security checks since the graduate repayment system was completely separate (in other words they make it difficult to get the money, but not to pay it back?).

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You're best off going down to your students union and speaking to one of the welfare advisers there. I don't know the answer to this one!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's easier said than done, as I work on a campus across the city from the union!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Just done a bit of digging because I hate not knowing stuff.

    It appears that if you had an income-contingent loan then you have to make repayments if your income is over £15,000pa gross. This includes if your postgrad student support package is more than £15,000pa gross. So you do need to provide evidence of how you're supporting yourself, including details of the grants and bursaries you're getting.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Emailing your graduate union people maybe a good idea as well, as they should be reasonably used to dealing with this kind of thing and may have a straightforward guide to what you need to provide SLC with in the context of the payslips etc you get from the university.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've had this sent to me from a colleague.

    SLC leaflet on what information you need to supply.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Isn't it automatic? When I used to earn a smidgen over £15k (something like £15,300), a great whopping £1 was taken out of my monthly wages. The £1 even showed on my payslip underneath the tax figure. Now that I'm only on £14,700, I'm exempt, again an automatic process.

    But yeah, if the SLC are pressing you for proof, first of all, I'd call them to clarify what they'll accept. That will most likely be a payslip, asking you to scan+email or fax it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's only automatic if you pay tax under PAYE. If you're self employed it comes out on your self-assessment, otherwise you get a bill from the SLC and you pay it by standing order or debit card.
Sign In or Register to comment.