Student Finance trying to rob me
Ok, so here's the deal. I have just graduated university (not even a student and they're still trying to con me). I received a letter in May or so stating that my account had been reassessed and I was no longer eligible for the Grant for that year, claiming I had to pay £3000 back to SLC within the year. Now I know this was wrong because I had been eligible for the previous 2 years with no questions asked, and nothing had changed financially with my parents. I called up and they had no idea why my account was reassessed, but advised me to just resend the same evidence I did at the start of the financial year. So this got sent (again!) and for weeks upon weeks nothing got resolved. Finally, today, I called them again and SOMETHING had changed... but not for the better. apparently my evidence was rejected 2 weeks ago and I hadn't even been notified about the change. The guy on the phone kept saying I needed to send more evidence such as a P60 or wage slips as proof of taxable income. I told the guy about 8 times that my mother is on benefits and has no taxable income, to which he always replied "I understand that, but we need taxable income evidence such as..." and then listed the same things over and over again. So, it seems that only students who have working parents are eligible for student finance. The main problem is, I sent the same evidence year after year, and the first two years haven't been reassessed. This is absolutely ridiculous and are demanding their £3000 back, which quite frankly isn't going to happen
You need to check the benefits your mother gets.
You seem to be under the illusion that benefits are not taxable income.
Some, like Job Seekers Allowance, are taxable. The guidance notes for applying to SFE list which ones are taxable.
You seem to be under the illusion that benefits are not taxable income.
Some, like Job Seekers Allowance, are taxable. The guidance notes for applying to SFE list which ones are taxable.
(edited 9 years ago)
I have, as I mentioned I have sent the same document off each year (the only difference is the tax year) and they were fine with it then. They just apparently don't accept it now......
Even if it is their error when you returned the letter accepting the loan you entered a contract which allows them to claw back mistakes they make.
If your parents aren't working, I'm sure you would be entitled to the full grant.
Call back and speak to someone who can explain the situation a bit better.
Call back and speak to someone who can explain the situation a bit better.
"send more evidence such as a P60 or wage slips as proof of taxable income" first things first, you have to reply to that. Either with what they want, or PROOF that your parents have no taxable income (not just an assertation).
Send this evidence, once you have it, via the post office signed for mail (proof of delivery)
If they still kick up a fuss then ask them to show you evidence that you aren't any longer eligible to keep the money, considering you've given them everything they've asked for. Or, that they had made a mistake (and if so, outlining exactly what the mistake was and why they only just spotted it).
Don't give up but also do not refrain from trying to be as co-operative as possible.
Send this evidence, once you have it, via the post office signed for mail (proof of delivery)
If they still kick up a fuss then ask them to show you evidence that you aren't any longer eligible to keep the money, considering you've given them everything they've asked for. Or, that they had made a mistake (and if so, outlining exactly what the mistake was and why they only just spotted it).
Don't give up but also do not refrain from trying to be as co-operative as possible.
You probably need a benefit statement from the required tax year. All your mother needs to do is go to / call the jobcentre and say I need a benefit statement from tax year x. I believe after speaking to the jobcentre you just have to post a letter, they provide the addressed envelope, to get the statement. My husband needed one as evidence for a tax refund.
Unfortunately, this sort of 'we need this evidence and nothing else, even if it doesn't exist' attitude is becoming more and more common.
In my case, my wife worked for a short amount of time in April in the tax year before I became a student. SLC asked for her income during the Academic Year, which was of course, zero. (She didn't claim benefits, and eventually became a full time student herself).
SLC asked for her P60, or August payslip as proof, which of course, anyone who has ever held a job would know you don't have unless you are working in August, or work for the full tax year (or claim certain benefits, when the Jobcentre will issue your P60, which is what you may need to send in your case) They were not happy with her P45.
In the end, we just had to keep re-sending her P45 with a covering letter explaining why the other stuff they asked for didn't exist. Eventually, it was looked at by an assessor with half a brain who "exercised their discretion" in finalizing the grant without the exact evidence they asked for.
In the meantime, it took a complaint, escalated all the way to the independent assessors, before I received anything remotely like an apology or admission of wrongdoing.
If your situation is anything like mine, I can only suggest you keep re-sending the evidence you do have with a letter explaining why you can't provide the evidence they keep asking from you on the phone, and in the meantime, make a formal complaint. Expect to be fobbed off, but keep escalating the complaint until it gets to the independent assessors. It is only likely to change once the IAs start writing in their annual report that SLC need to reexamine the acceptable evidence lists for these sort of problems.
I do have to ask what Comeback suggests would be acceptable proof that you have no taxable income, however. For an example, If you were a full time student who relied entirely on your fiance, with no other work or benefits, what proof from HMRC or your employer (which is all SLC will accept) would you have that you had no taxable income?
Of course, there is another solution. Despite being a Unionist, I sort of hope the people of Scotland will vote YES next Thursday. They can keep the SLC with our compliments, and hopefully the rUK body that replaces them will have slightly more sense.
In my case, my wife worked for a short amount of time in April in the tax year before I became a student. SLC asked for her income during the Academic Year, which was of course, zero. (She didn't claim benefits, and eventually became a full time student herself).
SLC asked for her P60, or August payslip as proof, which of course, anyone who has ever held a job would know you don't have unless you are working in August, or work for the full tax year (or claim certain benefits, when the Jobcentre will issue your P60, which is what you may need to send in your case) They were not happy with her P45.
In the end, we just had to keep re-sending her P45 with a covering letter explaining why the other stuff they asked for didn't exist. Eventually, it was looked at by an assessor with half a brain who "exercised their discretion" in finalizing the grant without the exact evidence they asked for.
In the meantime, it took a complaint, escalated all the way to the independent assessors, before I received anything remotely like an apology or admission of wrongdoing.
If your situation is anything like mine, I can only suggest you keep re-sending the evidence you do have with a letter explaining why you can't provide the evidence they keep asking from you on the phone, and in the meantime, make a formal complaint. Expect to be fobbed off, but keep escalating the complaint until it gets to the independent assessors. It is only likely to change once the IAs start writing in their annual report that SLC need to reexamine the acceptable evidence lists for these sort of problems.
I do have to ask what Comeback suggests would be acceptable proof that you have no taxable income, however. For an example, If you were a full time student who relied entirely on your fiance, with no other work or benefits, what proof from HMRC or your employer (which is all SLC will accept) would you have that you had no taxable income?
Of course, there is another solution. Despite being a Unionist, I sort of hope the people of Scotland will vote YES next Thursday. They can keep the SLC with our compliments, and hopefully the rUK body that replaces them will have slightly more sense.
Original post by shaunlewis
Unfortunately, this sort of 'we need this evidence and nothing else, even if it doesn't exist' attitude is becoming more and more common.
In my case, my wife worked for a short amount of time in April in the tax year before I became a student. SLC asked for her income during the Academic Year, which was of course, zero. (She didn't claim benefits, and eventually became a full time student herself).
SLC asked for her P60, or August payslip as proof, which of course, anyone who has ever held a job would know you don't have unless you are working in August, or work for the full tax year (or claim certain benefits, when the Jobcentre will issue your P60, which is what you may need to send in your case) They were not happy with her P45.
In the end, we just had to keep re-sending her P45 with a covering letter explaining why the other stuff they asked for didn't exist. Eventually, it was looked at by an assessor with half a brain who "exercised their discretion" in finalizing the grant without the exact evidence they asked for.
In the meantime, it took a complaint, escalated all the way to the independent assessors, before I received anything remotely like an apology or admission of wrongdoing.
If your situation is anything like mine, I can only suggest you keep re-sending the evidence you do have with a letter explaining why you can't provide the evidence they keep asking from you on the phone, and in the meantime, make a formal complaint. Expect to be fobbed off, but keep escalating the complaint until it gets to the independent assessors. It is only likely to change once the IAs start writing in their annual report that SLC need to reexamine the acceptable evidence lists for these sort of problems.
I do have to ask what Comeback suggests would be acceptable proof that you have no taxable income, however. For an example, If you were a full time student who relied entirely on your fiance, with no other work or benefits, what proof from HMRC or your employer (which is all SLC will accept) would you have that you had no taxable income?
Of course, there is another solution. Despite being a Unionist, I sort of hope the people of Scotland will vote YES next Thursday. They can keep the SLC with our compliments, and hopefully the rUK body that replaces them will have slightly more sense.
In my case, my wife worked for a short amount of time in April in the tax year before I became a student. SLC asked for her income during the Academic Year, which was of course, zero. (She didn't claim benefits, and eventually became a full time student herself).
SLC asked for her P60, or August payslip as proof, which of course, anyone who has ever held a job would know you don't have unless you are working in August, or work for the full tax year (or claim certain benefits, when the Jobcentre will issue your P60, which is what you may need to send in your case) They were not happy with her P45.
In the end, we just had to keep re-sending her P45 with a covering letter explaining why the other stuff they asked for didn't exist. Eventually, it was looked at by an assessor with half a brain who "exercised their discretion" in finalizing the grant without the exact evidence they asked for.
In the meantime, it took a complaint, escalated all the way to the independent assessors, before I received anything remotely like an apology or admission of wrongdoing.
If your situation is anything like mine, I can only suggest you keep re-sending the evidence you do have with a letter explaining why you can't provide the evidence they keep asking from you on the phone, and in the meantime, make a formal complaint. Expect to be fobbed off, but keep escalating the complaint until it gets to the independent assessors. It is only likely to change once the IAs start writing in their annual report that SLC need to reexamine the acceptable evidence lists for these sort of problems.
I do have to ask what Comeback suggests would be acceptable proof that you have no taxable income, however. For an example, If you were a full time student who relied entirely on your fiance, with no other work or benefits, what proof from HMRC or your employer (which is all SLC will accept) would you have that you had no taxable income?
Of course, there is another solution. Despite being a Unionist, I sort of hope the people of Scotland will vote YES next Thursday. They can keep the SLC with our compliments, and hopefully the rUK body that replaces them will have slightly more sense.
Don't be silly.
SLC like HMRC will just relocate to England.
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