To wonder how they can get it SO wrong?

[theluckiest]

And be so utterly incompetent. The Student Loans Co have yet again demonstrated that they do not know their arse from their elbow.

This is the final straw in a long list of mistakes and cock ups that I won't bore you with now (including mistakenly setting up 2 accounts for me and not being able to understand that the married me and unmarried me were in fact the same person as I had changed my surname...sigh. Surely people getting married happens occasionally, yes?)

So I got home last night to find a demand that I pay back £3500 immediately as my application was reassessed and I was not eligible for childcare grant. I was beside myself (had been a loooong day) as you can imagine and this has put rather a cloud over the weekend! I should point out that have long since completed the course and have already sent all evidence they requested like a good girl.

The error is down to THEM auditing me. They informed me that an extra form was to be sent to my son's nursery. That never arrived. (Nursery manager has been great and had signed any forms I'd asked her to so I know it's not them at fault) Contacted SLC & asked them to resend...sent the wrong forms to me, not nursery. Called SLC again...no form arrived. It's a specific dept within the SLC that never seems to answer it's phone. No-one else in the SLC seems to know a) what form it is and b) knows what the hell is going on.

Now this. I am beside myself with worry. Prob because there is nothing I can personally do or send them further. THEY should have contacted nursery directly for further evidence (this is what they have stated so not me trying to pass the buck). I've given them everything they've asked for. What do they want, blood?!! Checked address & details are correct. What can I do? The bloke I snivelled to last night admitted the letter was sent to 'scare' me. Nice.

So hackles are raised, guns are blazing....will call Mon to try sort this mess out.
Any tips? Advice? AIBU that they could not organise a piss up in a brewery?

Anyone else had similar? Who do I take it to if this doesn't get resolved asap?
My mum suggested writing to David Cameron (!) but I suspect Shiny Dave may have slightly higher priorities....Bless her trying to help though.
Come on MN, I'm going into battle.....what ammunition can I go in with?

I had the student loan company repeatedly insist I repay everything straight away on the grounds that I lived abroad. These demands reached me at my UK address, or through my UK phone number.......

They're a BLOODY nightmare. I had no end of problems including late payments etc and when you ring their attitude is so fecking entitled. I appreciate they probably hear a lot of complaining but if they got it right at their end to start with they'd have significantly less to deal with. You are deffo NBU!

My only advice would be get on the phone and demand to speak to a manager then explain exactly what has gone wrong and how they need to fix it. Don't hang up til they understand and tell them if it isn't sorted within 'x' amount of days you will be calling every day requesting them and demanding an answer.

Buy a punchbag. Write a letter to them with all supporting documentation again. CC the covering letter to your MP including all details of 'now that you have sent a letter to me to scare me' etc. Make ten five copies. Send first copy recorded delivery with proof of posting. Follow up by phone as soon as you know it's been delivered. When they deny all knowledge, send the next lot and repeat. Ring your MP's office when you send the third lot off. When you get to the fifth copy, make another five lots before sending it off.

Make time for regular sessions with the punchbag.

I think some departments only work on paper, and others only work on the phone. the Inland Revenue are superb on the phone, for example.

Oh I worked for them many moons ago... Fear not they are useless and should do you no harm ....!

Send a letter (signed for) first details should be your current name and maiden. Your NI no. current address, course name, code and institution and current year of course. Even photocopy i.d. page of you passport, drivers lic. etc... Basically anything official you have for i.d and email address. Oh, anything you have for proof of child - photocopy birth cert. etc... Even photo of marriage cert.

Second para. Plainly what you want, subsections if need be to make it easier for them to understand. You're not looking to write a beautiful essay, just get your point across. Factual, to the point. I wouldn't bother arguing this n that or how it's inconvenienced you.

If I understand you're posting then you haven't finished your course. If you get no joy from the letter, speak to your student union. They must come across this a million times. They will have someone on permanent staff for this, also they may be able to help you with a hardship fund, either through S.U or directly from the institution.

All communication with SLC in writing, phone calls just lead to big bills and frustration. Try and get an email from someone at SLC (manager).

Good luck

I have the old student loan where you need to be earning around £26000 to start repayments and it does not come out your wages. I deferred this year as I have started another degree for which I get a bursary. I was told I need to start repaying as my deferrment form was incomplete. I could not imagine what this was so I phoned. I was told that it was becaused I had not been to the JCP to have my benefits confirmed. I was confused as the only benefit is child benefit (I had sent in child tax credit letter). The chap on the end of the phone said yes it was the child benefit and they needed confirmation it was the amount I declared I received. I did inform him it was the same amount for everyone. After he told me that the SLC did not know that I asked to speak to a manager. It was sorted that day

SLC Complaints Procedure

Don't get me started on the bloody SLC and what's worse I get to deal with the welsh SLC who can't fathom that I no longer live in Wales or with my parents or go married or took maternity leave or started on the original SL so it's not the same as the current ones
I find them impossible to deal with... Did finally get them to change my address by threatening them with failing to comply with the Data Protection Act! it was my final try after 30 odd letters

I live abroad and have had demands for full repayment on the basis that I have failed to complete and return my overseas repayment assessment forms. Naughty, naughty girl. Except I also have correspondence from them acknowledging receipt of said forms and a further correspondence confirming payment requirements having processed said forms.