Student Loans Company dispute

I'm in dispute with the Student Loans Company and would appreciate
some advice.

I have 2 loans, the first to cover my undergraduate studies from 1992
to 1995 and a second one for my postgraduate course in 1999-2000. I
have been paying off my earlier loan, after a number of low earnings
deferments, by direct debit of around £70 per month for about 4 years.
The account is up to date and there are no arrears.

Yesterday I opened by payslip to find a student loan deduction of £115
from my gross salary for January 2006. I phoned the SLC to find out
what was going on, and received a series of confused, self
contradictory and frankly bizarre explanations for this state of
affairs. These ranged from the failure of Strathclyde University to
inform them that I was a PGCE student there in 2000 to the suggestion
that their system has just caught up with me, regardless of the fact
that I have the direct debit.

They did tell me this payment was for my second, post graduate, loan
and when I asked why I had not been informed that these payments were
due to start, I was told I had been sent a letter in 2001! I had 2
calls in total to the SLC, and received different information each
time.

Thinking about it overnight, and very angry, I phoned back this morning
and, lo and behold, they claimed they had sent me a letter on 28th
October offering me the option of which loan I wanted to pay first. I
asked why neither of the people I spoke to yesterday mentioned that
letter, and didn't get any sort of reply. I told them that sounded
like backtracking to me and, since I didn't receive a letter, I
didn't believe it had been sent. They offered me a copy!

I then faxed them an account of the 3 conversations I had had with them
to that point and invited them to refund £115 to my bank account by
the close of banking business on Monday. I also told them that, if they
chose not to refund the money by that time, I would raise a small
claims summons at my local Sheriff Court on the grounds that they
instructed the deduction of money from my salary without my knowledge
or permission, and that they had failed to keep me informed of changes
to my payments.

Do I stand a chance legally? I have no issue about paying back what's
due, just not all at once!

John

.

Relevant Pages

  • Student Loans - California University, USA
    ... Another tactic is to compare loan offers. ... the majority of her pay will go to student loans. ... For those who wait until after graduation to begin making payments, ... Those insurers become the contact agency for borrowers and ...
    (comp.unix.shell)
  • Student Loans - California University, USA
    ... Another tactic is to compare loan offers. ... the majority of her pay will go to student loans. ... For those who wait until after graduation to begin making payments, ... Those insurers become the contact agency for borrowers and ...
    (rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz)
  • Re: Student Loans Company dispute
    ... > I'm in dispute with the Student Loans Company and would appreciate ... > have been paying off my earlier loan, after a number of low earnings ... > and when I asked why I had not been informed that these payments were ... > instructed the deduction of money from my salary without my knowledge ...
    (uk.legal)
  • Re: Student Loans Company dispute
    ... I'm in dispute with the Student Loans Company and would appreciate ... Yesterday I opened by payslip to find a student loan deduction of £115 ... and when I asked why I had not been informed that these payments were ... instructed the deduction of money from my salary without my knowledge ...
    (uk.legal)
  • Re: Student Loans Company dispute
    ... I'm in dispute with the Student Loans Company and would appreciate ... Yesterday I opened by payslip to find a student loan deduction of £115 ... and when I asked why I had not been informed that these payments were ... court because the court will expect you to have made every effort to do so. ...
    (uk.legal)