It seems to me that for some this will be disincentive to earn more than this lower threshold. In the same way as (for some) incapacity benefits were a disincentive to get well and benefits a disincentive to work. I'm not saying these benefits are not needed. Not at all. Just that we should look carefully at what messages we're giving. It's all very easy for our greedy generation (who had it all) to make judgements about who should pay for education. We spent our parent's money, our own money and now we're spending our kids and grand-kids money. Also don't suppose for a moment student loans aren't another of the 'equity bundles' that this sinking ship is built on! Sorry. That was a bit of a rant. Nothing personal

I'd be surprised if it works out the way you suggest.
You're virtually comparing apples and pairs, ambitious young ppl who have worked their way up through the education system to achieve as much as they possibly can with their lives and careers, in total contrast to those on benefits many of whom, (not all), see little future other than to milk the system best they can.

Correct, I cant imagine many grads turning down a good job offer with a salary above the threshold of 21k just so they dont have to pay back their uni loans.

That would defeat the object of going to uni in the first place, ie bettering ones job prospects.

Professional benefit claimants are another matter.

who very rarely have a university education !

Meaning what ?

I wonder how many of them were ambitious enough in their outlook to truly want a one, whilst it doesn't necessarily preclude those who have enough desire and ambition to make something of themselves, wether through uni or other avenues open to them.

you've lost me Dick, sri.

The only moral way out of the negative equity trap in the UK is to sit it out until houses prices go up again. In the less hurtful recession of the early nineties, that took around four to five years. Sending the keys back is a less moral way to deal with the situation, but lots of people did it.

Negative equity in Spain, at this time, is quite another matter, and a lot of expats who bought at the height of the madness five or six years ago may not be able to sit this one out, there seems no end to it this time and the property figures are in terminal decline.

Whether you send the keys back, or just go back home doesn't really matter if you genuinely cannot pay back what you owe.

I know of many examples where expats paid 180K for a home with a 140K mortgage, which was quite normal. Their properties are now worth 90K and prices are still falling rapidly.

The proper advice is to speak to your lender, he may extend the term and reduce payments, but you'll still be in deep trouble for many. many years. Not a nice way to live.

All 'Sending the keys back' does is remove your control of the house and its sale. They will sell it for what they can get, you still owe them the rest.

True, but it might ease the mind of the poor person having to take such a desperate step. And if the lenders receive an explanatory letter along with the keys, it makes their repossession task easier. (And cheaper).

it is a big step to "give the ring back" when a marriage breaks down exactly the same as "giving the keys back" when that other mill stone around the neck is impeding progress.

neither is a nice thing to do, but if its the only way to move on and keep one's sanity and pride then it has to be done.

That's some analogy, comparing the loss of a house to the loss of a wife.

Can a wife ever turn into negative equity?

No, I'm not going down that road, it's too late at night and I'm hoarse from the football.

A wife with a few credit cards in her purse can make negative equity look like small change.

hope the throat is better in the morning H, I am sure you have plenty of amber liquid to sooth it.

I am sure from your experience you can say a wife can become a negative asset, not much different to equity.
All that time, effort, money and maintenance you have spent over the years, and its the same for the wife, or is it just women who have a ditch and start again attitude.

there are other things such as cars that are lemons that have to be returned and just get the hell out of the relationship, you made the wrong choice.

A couple of years ago I was unable to drive for a while, and my wife, who's frightened to drive in Spain (we've got a beast of a car), got a friend of hers to drive her for our weekly shopping trips, which involved drawing out money from the cash point.

I did think about it at the time, but then gave her the pin number for, first one, and then for both of my credit cards. That's what you should do in a marriage, shouldn't you?

I'm a bit lax in checking my accounts, but didn't really notice anything unusual, until a couple of weeks ago. It appears I've paid for five flights to Florida. I know that her daughter (from a previous marriage) and her husband and three children went to Florida at that time.

It's not a big problem, if she had asked me I would have agreed anyway, it's all family, isn't it?

(It's an English card and I can't see the option to change the pin number when using it in Spain).

(And maybe she did ask me and I forgot).

Wow. Five flights and you didn't notice! Spare any change boss !