I have applied to defer my student loan payments to Erudio Student Loans (firm that the government sold student loans 2). I have given them my bank statement showing I get a small amount from my parents each month (I'm not employed or on benefit and I live at home rent free). Despite having my bank statement showing my income and the source of it (my parents), they now want a letter from my parents saying how much they give me. Surely there's no requirement in law for me to do this and a bank statement proves income and source of that income. This is just blatant attempt to put pressure on me to pay them. Anyone got any advice? They say if I dont get a letter from my parents they will not defer loan payments. Help! Thanks.

Hi My partner was offered a place on a degree course as a mature student and made an application to the Student Loan Company. In spite of making the application long in advance, they lost his information asked for him to resend the info. He made a number of calls to enquire about how it was progressing and they made a number of excuses from not being able to find paperwork to a backlog of work slowing applications down. As a result my partner started on his course and was there around five weeks when he received a letter from the SLC saying he was not entitled to anything as he had received financing twenty years earlier. As a result he had to withdraw from the course and the university is doggedly chasing him for fees. He is unable to pay anything as he receives no income whatsoever as I am supporting us both on my part time earnings while he looks for work. He is not eligable for JSA. This has been explained to the University and although they are sympathetic they are still pushing for payment. Surely the fault lies with the SLC losing the paperwork and the time they took processing. Where does he stand legally as he has no assetts whatsoever. Any advice would be appreciated

I know it might be too early to worry, but here goes. I am a final year student (4th yr), an EU citizen, and I first applied for student finance in my second year (2007-2008). I got the full Maintenance Loan and Grant for 2008-2009. Applied again next year. Got the same support for 2009-2010. This year, when I applied, I received the first instalment of Maintenance Loan and Grant, and then, all of a sudden, my application was transferred from Birmingham LEA to the central SLC office, something called Migrant Worker Team. After a long documents' battle, the "team" decided I was not eligible for support NEITHER this year, NOR the last year . They cancelled both of my applications (but not the 2007-8). Now I received a letter saying I owe the SLC nearly 4000 pounds in overpaid grant (about 900 for that first installment I received this year, and 3100 for the full payment of grant I received last academic year). The letter says that this money will be deduced from any further support I am eligible for (which is nil), or recovered at the end of my course. I assume this "overpayment" will not be "recovered" as a loan, but in one instalment, as it is a grant. Do they have a right to cancel my application from a year ago and demand me paying the "overpayments" if it was THEIR mistake, not noticing I was " ineligible" last year? I got the confirmation and scheduling of payments, and all sorts of other correspondence... Last year, they even sent me a letter similar to one which this year led to my application being cancelled (something along the lines "please send us some documents because we need additional evidence") ; but they NEVER did anything about it, simply sent me another one confirming the payment dates! In a few words, got the money, and after a year they decided "actually, we shouldn't have sent you this money, so give it back." I don't really know the rules surrounding that, can anyone give some advice on what my options are? I would like to get some basic information on how to deal with this, before going to a solicitor or seeking official legal advice. I don't really know if it is necessary in this case, seeking advice from a solicitor, so I figured this forum would be a good starting point... I guess I could snoop around and find that 900 quid they overpaid me this year, but I simply can't afford paying three thousand in one go... Thanks in advance for any advice!