Dear CAG members. This is my first post. Thanks so much for all the excellent information in the different threads sharing information and experiences of 'dealing with' SLC and co - it's been very informative and helpful, thank you. I have a situation and I would greatly appreciate some specific advice on next steps. Last week after nearly 12 years, I received a 'Notice of Sums in Arrears' letter from the SLC and I would like your help in order that I may deal with the situation in an intelligent manner and avoid making foolish mistakes. The history is: I have outstanding pre-1998 student loans. I deferred from 1996 until 1999 when the SLC lost my deferrment applications, placed my account in arrears and handed me over to a debt collection agency (can't remember which one). I tried to make repayments but then in 2000, I moved abroad and communications went from bad to worse - nothing I sent ever seemed to arrive, I no longer possessed the original paperwork that they kept asking for (as I had already sent it to them) and eventually it became logistically impossible to continue making payments to the UK. I wrote several subsequent letters but never heard back from them. Until, last Saturday... It seems elephants aren't the only ones with long memories and far from being written-down, my loan has instead been happily accruing monthly interest (and presumably other charges) in the intervening period to reach the now princely amount of £6,100 (of which £5,300 is considered 'in arrears' - why it isn't all in arrears, I don't know) - almost double the amount originally borrowed. As far as I know this is the only correspondance they have sent and there are no CCJs on my file. The amounts seem very high. I'm surpised they didn't wrtite the loan-off years ago. By coincidence, I only just returned back to the UK two months ago after all this time. Having read some of the longer threads here, I assume my account was returned to SLC from the private agency and they searched for me using the poll records where I'm registered as living (and looking back through all my mail I can see they first sent me a letter on 10 Feb this year and then an identical one (apart from the increased charges) exactly six months later on 10 August - which I imagine was an entirely computer generated exercise. All I can say is: thank heavens my Mother-in law is ex-directory and they haven't been able to phone her since they got the poll records! Anyway, I have the feeling that they are are going to get 'very interested' the moment I make contact with them and wanted to ask your help on how best, with your experience, you think I should to go about it. Best, Steve.