CSP demands immediate end to claw back of student loan payments

The overpayments were made in error by the Student Loans Company (SLC). The company told students who queried payments they had not been overpaid.    

The CSP, which represents 5600 physiotherapy students, wants overpayments written off. It has been lobbying the SLC and Department for Education since the fiasco emerged. The SLC wrote to the CSP yesterday offering to help only some students put into hardship by repayments. 

Luke Tobin, chair of the CSP Student Committee, is one of the students affected. Commenting on the SLC proposals he said:

'I’m not sure exactly who the hardship fund will benefit. My main concern is what ‘hardship’ is viewed as. Take me for example, I will now be forced into using my student overdraft facility but will that be classed as hardship?'

CSP Policy Director Rob Yeldham said:

'The Student Loans Company should write off the overpayments. They admit this was entirely their mistake. They even told students they had not been overpaid. The company should take the consequences, not hard-pressed healthcare students. It is disgraceful that having caused this problem the SLC so-called solution could see some students forced into further debt.'

The CSP is continuing to campaign for a full write off and will be discussing concerted action with student organisations, professional bodies and trade unions. They also plan to ask parliamentarians to challenge ministers over the scandal.

For additional information, see http://www.csp.org.uk/news/2018/03/23/csp-urges-student-loans-company-not-recover-overpayments

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