To not pay off my student loan (current SAHM) even though we can afford it?

[SwissSarah]

I got my degree 10 years ago and have about £10K to pay from my student loan. I never earned enough to pay back any of it pre kids (did low paid community work) and have been a SAHM for 5 years and plan to be for at least the next 5. I anticipate never working full time and probably doing lots of voluntary stuff in the community as that's what I love doing. (DH earns well so no pressure to earn myself)

My DH thinks we should pay it back as I borrowed it. I think that I am contributing massively to my local community and giving back in so many other ways and if I'm not earning enough then I shouldn't worry about not paying it back. What do you think??

CaraAspen Do you also pay for private health care and do not claim child benefit?

Get that stick out your arse.

Did those who have a "who cares if you ever pay it back" attitude to the loan attend good universities?

I'm still waiting to go. 2019 at this rate.

Of course you shouldn't pay it off. As the above poster said, the government has budgeted for loan repayments and it is done in the form of tax.

If you feel you would like to make a gesture, consider making a couple of generous donations to charities of your choice in lieu of part of the loan repayment.

Hi Cara my DH paid more in tax this month than what I took out in student loans (5 figures).. can i join you on your high ground?

What about those who do community work and do get paid for it and have to pay theirs back? Or doctors/nurses? They have to pay theirs back too. Why is your time worth more than theirs?

For anyone interested, I accidentally discovered a student loan loophole.

If you work 2 part time jobs and earn less that the repayment minimum in each you do not need to make payments, even if the total you earn far exceeds it.

OP is your DH a millionaire who can afford to drop 10k on a loan that does not legally require repayment? If the answer is no, then don't waste another seconds thought on it.

"LouBlue1507

CaraAspen Do you also pay for private health care and do not claim child benefit?

Get that stick out your arse."

Oh what a charmer. I assume you have not repaid your loan?

Oh what a charmer.

And you think you sound nice?

Student loans are "graduate tax". If you are working a job at a graduate level you pay it back. If you're not you can't afford to pay it back

I paid mine back...and I was a SAHM...paid £80 a month for yrs...I borrowed it ,so I pay it back..the more people that take from the system the less chance there is of our children benefiting from the same privileges...pay it back...

Theonly reason you could borrow the money is because people before you paid back their debt

No it isn't. It really isn't a long time since students neither paid back their grants nor the cost of their free university education.

No, you don't get to default on your debts because you do voluntary work
Just like I can't default on my mortgage just because I fundraise for charity

Sheba, the OP isn't suggesting she defaults on the loan - she hasn't been asked for it back yet.

You could request a payment holiday on your mortgage and no-one would expect you to continue making payments during the break you've agreed with your lender.

Do volunteer roles require a degree now?

Cremeeggthief did uou not getfree tuition?

But that's completely irrelevant. The OP isn't seriously disabled. And she can afford to pay back the loan

No, on the basis of the clear terms of the loan she can't afford to pay it. If she could, she would be repaying. The fact that someone else may be able to pay it for her doesn't change that.

If you request a payment holiday you still intend to repay your loan and it's by agreement with your lender.

The only reason OP ever got the loan to go to uni in the first place is because others before her repaid their debts. The fact she never intends to, despite having the household income (she anticipates never working full time), and tries to justify it because she does something else entirely irrelevant, is quite astonishing.

Op I agree that you have no legal or moral requirement to pay it back, but it is depressing to see pages of educated women who are happy to never earn a reasonable wage.

Everything seems to need a degree now

Higher education should be free, just as it used to be. Don't pay it back if you don't have to.

"StealthPolarBear

Op I agree that you have no legal or moral requirement to pay it back, but it is depressing to see pages of educated women who are happy to never earn a reasonable wage."

Yep. Kinda defeats the purpose. Everyone wants one so everyone has to get one, regardless of ability...

Don't you need to earn at least about £50k to pay it back now, so that's a lot of jobs that won't pay it back

If you request a payment holiday you still intend to repay your loan and it's by agreement with your lender.

And OP has an agreement with her lender under which she is not currently liable to pay her debts. What's the difference?

The only reason OP ever got the loan to go to uni in the first place is because others before her repaid their debts.

Nonsense. How do you imagine we survived in the days when tuition was free and students were given grants?

21k I think a pp said. That's what I based my statement on, if that's wrong I take it back.

"Slimmingsnake

I paid mine back...and I was a SAHM...paid £80 a month for yrs...I borrowed it ,so I pay it back..the more people that take from the system the less chance there is of our children benefiting from the same privileges...pay it back."

Exactly. It's the lack of intention that is a hard for normal people to accept.