Erudio student loans -passed loan to debt collection

[Becca19962014]

Help!

Due to being in very high risk for covid all my support was stopped in March. I'm not allowed anyone in to help (even if I was willing). My mental health has severely declined. I can't defer online as my equipment won't run it and I don't have the evidence they need as council didn't send it out "due to risk".

I rang. I explained.

Today they've sent me three letters, dividing the single loan amount back into three separate loans and informed me I owe them hundreds more than the single payment I missed. They're referring me for debt collection.

Next week my landlord is due to to a credit check - this has been referred and I've already lost my credit cards and had my overdraft cancelled by bank, clearly this is why.

I've no help whatsoever. CAB don't exist here. I tried their online service only to be told they don't do student loans. My social worker has refused to have anything to do with me during lockdown as has my GP - so I can't have any help from council. They offered me a "worker" but that was the woman who has assulted me, the next person was the man who abuses me as well (they're ill so got through checks).

What am I supposed to do? I can't get through to them. I don't even know who they've given all the loans too. It now shows I've defaulted on three separate loans, when they amalgamated all the loans into one.

I'm already struggling hugely with deterioating mental and physical health and this is too much for me to cope with. I've never missed a payment. Never not deferred. Warned them weeks before payment was due. I can do nothing about it and now it looks like I'm going to be homeless back on the street as well as I can't afford a home with all my cards and everything cancelled I can't even now pay my monthly rent on this dump.

I don't understand why they've pulled the loans apart, making it three missed payments so it must go to the debt collectors and causing severe problems with other things.

Our library won't reopen until January (I need help with form, every year someone has met me there and helped but that help has stopped as well), same goes for the council offices.

Help. Please. I'm really scared.

Where are you? Which country?

U.K., Wales. Erudio are the people the government sold my student loan from the 90s to in 2014.

A very quick flick through this shows that you shouldn't be repaying if you don't earn enough?

So if this is correct they cannot and should not chase you for something you don't need to pay back (if your earnings are under the threshold)

I'm not able to fill in their form to apply for deferment. So by their logic they've no evidence I can't pay and I've no evidence I can't either because the letters weren't sent confirming income during covid so I've missed payments and the threshold is three missed before debt collectors called in - because they've separated the loan into three it's been passed on. The only letters I have aren't clear because the numbers don't make sense again due to covid and are all over the place.

SLC you just send letters, these there's an application form to fill in and maths to calculate your earnings which is impossible with the figures changing all the time and money not being paid as expected, even if below they can still, and do refuse. I can't even go into the bank to confirm payments as they're closed and can't travel due to disability, can't do online (equipment too old) and telephone banking impossible because can't answer all the questions they ask.

Hence needing help, which I no longer have.

They've passed it on for debt collection. Now I've severe consequences.

They said there would be none as it wasn't my fault I couldn't get the form done.

Also it's different rules for erudio - they're a private firm not connected with SLC in anyway. The government sold older loans on.

And the only letters I have are for housing benefit nothing else as they were sent before letters were stopped due to risk.

What income do you have?

Just benefits?

And how many years since the last loan?

If you haven’t filled in the form then they have no evidence. They would do the same to anyone who didn’t provide evidence. I’m not sure I understand housing benefit letters not being sent due to risk. What does that mean? Who are these people who abused you? Did the abuse happen outside of their work? Do they know each other?

Just benefits, last loan was 1998.

I rang and spoke to the company in April when country in lockdown to explain the only letter I had was about housing benefit temporarily changing but it made no sense to me at all. I rang them repeatedmy as it was making me ill with worry and was told I would be deferred until end of August and not to worry about it as all the other evidence was with social worker who has stopped all support indefinitely due to covid and cannot get the letters to me as it was all covid related I wasn't to worry.

Basically it appears they lied to me to pass my entire loans on to a debt collection firm and now I'm in serious trouble financially as well as with my health due to no access to anyone at all as everything's still closed (no GP/social worker nothing). They lied to me and now I can do nothing to stop this.

The people who hurt me are just random members of the public allowed to provide help and support to those sheilding/extremely vulnerable. One assaulted me in hospital and has been threatening me for years, the other verbally abusive but then began spitting at me. Involved police but they're ill, I was told to forget it and mental health team told me to move on because they can't help it and, were able to ensure anything reported as part of being ill got ignored as it wasn't fair. One is a support worker part time and shop worker the other doesn't work except to volunteer to support vulnerable/shielders. No one gives a shit. I mentioned it because loan company said I should give them my bank card to get information needed and they can't be trusted.

No paperwork due to covid risk. I was told the same by the ombudsman when I complained about another issue; they weren't allowed to print it off and would when it was safe but wouldn't say when.

Social worker is only doing emergency work e.g. Sections nothing else.

Can’t you provide the loans company with your bank statements?

@FrankieChips

Can’t you provide the loans company with your bank statements?

Yes you can. That's the only evidence they really ask for. I did my application online but if you do it via post you just send a print out and highlight the money going in (benefits/wages etc).

@FrankieChips think I totally misread your post... 🤦‍♀️

Even if CAB don't do student loans in your area, they will give advice on your rights if a debt has been passed to a debt collection agency.

I don't have statements - I wouldn't send them anyway as they've got confidential information on. No printer. Banks closed so can't get any from them.

The point is the damage is done. I can't sort this before landlord does check. My credit cards are already cancelled, and I can't afford my rent or other payments now.

There's no CAB here. It's an online service and they needed to know what the debt was hence refusing to help because it's student loan.

I've been really really stupid believing them

There must be an agency that could help you. I suggest you contact your MP. Their offices are usually good and get things done. I'm in Walea and banks are open here, although shortened hours.

The banks here aren't open for personal customers under any circumstances, business only - I was told to go to Carmarthen which is hours away and I can't physically manage that, I certainly can't afford the taxi fare which would be hundreds of pounds!

MP said it's got nothing to do with them as its a private loan now since being sold and speak to social worker, who like I said is only doing sections indefinitely and is ignoring any calls/email I make.

I really need to have my meds and try to sleep if I can as unwell today.

The agencies I found via Google are all still closed. Most round here only open a day or so a week anyway, some once or twice a month.

I would email/write to your MP again, they cannot fob you off like that. Tell them that SS will not engage and that you need their help. They have a duty of care. Honestly try again with them. Obviously you cannot go into Camarthen if it's too far. I hope you manage to sleep.

So confused as to why you cannot get your bank statements online
And how there aren’t any banks around you that are open
Also GPs aren’t closed

Erudio have an email address on their contact page.

You can access online banking via mobile phone apps you don't need a good or modern machine to access online banking, or you can call the helpline for your bank and ask them to email you your statements

Your GP will be able to email you a letter about your shielding status if you contact the surgery.

Your comments about volunteer workers abusing you are difficult to understand.

I really think though that you do need to reach out to your social care or crisis team as your postings sound very confused and it does seem that you need assistance.

[quote WatchingFromTheWings]@FrankieChips think I totally misread your post... 🤦‍♀️ [/quote]
No you didn’t . I’ve checked online and those deferring payments can provide bank statements.

I don’t want to be mean but the op seems to be making a lot of excuses for not getting this sorted sooner. Everything is open where I am, it’s just the hours that are different and social distancing rules make a difference too.