Lee&Jade

Hi all,
Myself and my partner are waiting on a 136 skilled independent visa, my partner has a student loan from uni for 6 grand, should we tell the student loan company about our plans to go to Australia or just forget about it
Thanks Lee

NickyP

I told them and that was the last I heard of them. I can pay it back on a voluntary basis once I am earning here but other than that they have just noted my address on my file and it will restart if I move back to the UK. It is highly doubtful that my wages here will ever be above the threshold of earnings required to pay it back due to the exchange rate, but if it was then I was save up here and clear it in lump sums.
Good luck.
Nicky

brissydeb

My friends brother has lived in Oz for 6 years and he has delayed his student loan payments cos his OH keeps writing a letter to say she is supporting him cos he is not working........if she can keep this up for a further 19 years his student debt will be written off?! Seems really unfair but that is life. I paid off my student loan 1 year ago, why did i bother?!

Australia_bound?

But the question we need answering is!!! Is she actually supporting him or just writing a letter to say she is!

KatieStar

Hubby and I both have unpaid student loans. We just have to send a form back every year to ay we are not earning enough to repay it. I didn't realise that after 19 years it gets written off.

Australia_bound?

Do you have to evidence this? Or do they just take your word for it!

nursegirl34

The student loans company are very picky about the evidence required to keep deferring this debt. Believe me they are more interested in getting the money!

We have fought with them for a year over not being able to repay and they are now chasing me for £350 of repayments that accrued because the deferrement process was long and drawn out even though it was there fault. Its deferred now but I still owe these 2 repayments apparently! its a joke!

KatieStar

Hubby has to provide 3 months wage slips and as I am a stay at home mum Centrelink provide proof of the benefits they give us. They are a bit fussy and last year I had to send extra info from Centrelink.

Swerv-o

They are a bloody nightmare! I wrote to them in September to tell them that I had moved here and that my UK accounts were now incative, and that if they sent me a final bill, I would pay it by electronic funds transfer.

Havn't heard a thing from them since. Useless.

S

esperanza

Technically you do have to tell them that you are moving abroad. If you know your new salary, they will calculate your repayments. If you don't know, there is a form to fill out and send back when you do know.
If your aussie dollar earnings never rise above the UK£ threshold then you will not repay. How they check what money you have I do not know. I don't know if the aussie tax/revenue people share info. They will also keep adding interest to your debt, so if you only have a small amount outstanding it's probably best to just clear it.
Of course they can change the rules whenever they like. Marvellous.

According to the small print, if you just disappear then they can demand payments of £250-odd a month to clear the debt. Then they can demand the full amount. Of course if you have disappeared effectively enough then that might not be an issue! But if you did want to return to the UK then I suppose it could be an issue.

I cannot believe how disorganised & incompetent the SLC is - it's a joke.

One more point, which is that the person I last spoke to said they calculate your income based on the exchange rate on the day they receive your form (not using any sort of average figure) - if you think the rate is particularly good/bad at any particular time then you could change when you sent your form back in an effort to get the best possible result.

Oh and you also don't have to use the expensive numbers to call them - look on www.saynoto0870 - there are cheaper alternatives!

CathnPaul

Student loans are written off when you reach 50yr old. Its in the terms and conditions in my student loan. It is clear in the handbooks they send out.

BettyBoop

I've never seen this in the handbook i was given, can you indicate where it says this please? Mate was still going through Uni at 54 yrs of age will she need to pay back or not?

Cheers

BB

CathnPaul

My handbook is from 1998 and according to the student loan company website there are pre-98 and post-98 rules, we were told we would be the last year where the write-off was possible. So unfortunately your friend will need to repay.

Max&Ozzy

Hi all,

Just to give you some food for thought.
If you have an 'old style loan' with them, usually pre 1999'ish it is classified as unsecure none priority debt. This debt can become 'statute barred' after a period of 6 years, if NO communication has been made between debtor and loaner. If you close your accounts, change address and never reply to any mail (keep this up for 6 years) the debt is no longer enforcable for recovery action. It is protected by statute under the Limitations Act. What usually happens then is the a loan company will sell the debt for peanuts to a private debt collector, who usually try to recover by some rather unscrupulous actions, mainly preying on peoples fear and lack of knowledge. They have no legal weight behind their veiled threats.

I know this from first hand experience.

G

imate1

How about if you file a Bankruptcy with the pre 1998 student loan? I guess even if you file Bankruptcy with post 1998 student loan you still need to pay off your loan. Any idea.