past student loan/s and interest

[Amazinglyso]

I have been a mature student in the past and attended at least two different Universities

- one in 1999 and another in 2002.

 

Neither courses were completed for reasons to do with past childhood abuse trauma that has impacted upon my adult life

to an extent I never imagined possible, and has affected job prospects as well as integral self-esteem about achieving a career of somekind.

 

I have recently received a shocking student loan statement,

that shows how much I owe in terms of past student debts,

and the interest that is being wacked on each year

- despite the fact that I am not in work and

- in receipt of vital disability benefits due to my mental health conditions.

 

The statements are not requests for repayment of the loans, yet,

I am wanting to find out if there is any possible action I can take about having the loans written off,

and especially in view of the fact, that it is doubtful that at 41, I will unlikely be in a well-salaried job.

 

I understand completely that the vast majority of students will incur debt via having taken out student loans in their time;

yet in all honesty, these people will not be in the kind of vulnerable-adult situation that I face

- I also live in long-term supported housing.

 

I also understand that unless you are earning a salary as low as £15'000 per year or whatever it is now, you only pay a minimum back.

Yet what I am trying to establish, is the fact that former students should not be made to ever repay loans

if their personal situation is exceptional as mine is and will be for some time.

 

I am positive that I can get these loans written off, as they can and do in the United States, here in the UK.

 

I am not wanting morally charged answers to my question,

 

just someone who may be able to offer me helpful advice.

[AndyOrch]

Thread moved to the appropriate forum.

 

Regards

 

Andy

[Amazinglyso]

Kindest thanks Andy.

[dx100uk]

when did you last defer them

 

dx

[Amazinglyso]

When I worked at Virgin Media in 2008 I had begun repayment, yet was only employed there as a temporary stand-in for eight months approximately. Since then, I have not been in paid work - only part-time work from 2010-2012 and not earning enough to make repayment.

 

 

I am currently in receipt of disability benefits since 2012 due to long-term mental health conditions.

[fletch70]

Try not to worry

 

You only start paying once your salary has reached a certain amount which increases every year

and the % you pay is on the money you earn over that limit.

 

In addition i does get written off completely after a certain time (30 years i think). I am hopefully about to start a degree at nearly 50 and it is highly unlikely I will pay much , if any of my loan back because of the salary I will earn after the degree

 

have a look https://www.gov.uk/student-finance/overview

[Amazinglyso]

Thanks Fletch -

 

 

It sort of gave me a dizzy shock having had the student-loan

-statement through that showed inflated interest rates!.

 

I had completely forgotten about the whole thing of student loans until that.

 

You can actually get the loans written off if you can prove long-term disability

(according) to student finance web pages

- though you have to be permanently 'unemployable' which I am certainly not.

 

I think that they should only ever ask people to repay back their loans if earning

in excess of £50'000 per annum

- they can certainly afford repayments: (unlike) someone on say, £15'000 or even 21'000 per annum.

 

Fortunately my income is not enough at the present to be subject to repayment!.

 

Good luck with your Degree

- I don't highly rate academic achievements as I once did

- couldn't get into many jobs as they said that I was over-qualified!

 

. Hopefully this is not the case for you, and that you will be studying to advance existing

employment skills or purely for leisure purposes?.

 

Most people I went to University with, could hardly get into good paid jobs as employers

wanting top-ranking on-the-job skills - not educated sorts

- even in project management jobs;

 

they prefer you to have been an office cleric for 10 years,

whether or not you have any other relevant talents for the that kind of role.

 

It is truly absurd how it all works

- I have worked in the most menial kind of jobs you can imagine,

that are well below my skill set, because having a degree or two.

[fletch70]

 

Good luck with your Degree - I don't highly rate academic achievements as I once did - couldn't get into many jobs as they said that I was over-qualified!. Hopefully this is not the case for you, and that you will be studying to advance existing employment skills or purely for leisure purposes?. Most people I went to University with, could hardly get into good paid jobs as employers wanting top-ranking on-the-job skills - not educated sorts - even in project management jobs; they prefer you to have been an office cleric for 10 years, whether or not you have any other relevant talents for the that kind of role. It is truly absurd how it all works - I have worked in the most menial kind of jobs you can imagine, that are well below my skill set, because having a degree or two.

 

Thanks. I want to do the degree for a variety of reasons but mainly to help my own health and because the subject interests me. It is quite possible that it will help me get into the type of work I want to do but I will be 53 when I graduate assuming I can overcome the one smallish hurdle left before I get my written offer.

[Amazinglyso]

My fingers are crossed for you - I find academic studies mentally stimulating too; yet hope that it gets you to where you are wanting in your life-journey!