Whether that’s refunds from damaged or missing deliveries to claiming money back from being overcharged – the list goes on.
Most of the time, I’m guilty of not properly checking my bank account for things that shouldn’t have been paid, whether that’s miscalculated direct debits or being charged twice for lunch at a coffee shop by mistake.
But sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures and when I feel like my bank account is getting way below healthy measures, I like to investigate where I can get the extra pounds back from.
🆕 You can now apply for a refund from a previous tax year without having to call!
Complete our new form if you think you’ve made repayments but your income was below the annual threshold.
Already asked us for a refund? Don’t use this form, your refund is in progress.
— Student Loans Company Repayment (@SLC_Repayment) December 5, 2023
Can I have my student loans refunded?
Recently, I saw Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis inform the nation about a student loan refund application and it set off alarm bells in my chaotic brain.
A few years ago, I received a hefty late payment from a company which I was carrying out freelance work for at the time.
After they messed up my pay cheques for months (and I was given no earnings), I finally received a wage, which all came at once.
Instantly, I knew I would be paying a large amount of tax and National Insurance.
But what I didn’t realise was how much money I would also end up paying towards my student loan debt (mainly because I like to forget the never-ending financial cloud that follows me around).
At the time, I tried for months to receive some money back because I knew I was way under the yearly threshold but the Student Loans Company wasn’t interested.
In the end, my young 20-something self gave up and I tried long and hard to bury it.
That was until a few weeks ago after seeing one of Martin’s many useful tweets.
After doing a bit of investigation to check if I was eligible for the refund process, I thought I would give it a go because there was nothing to lose.
Especially when I realised how quick the process was.
How do I get a refund on my student loan?
All I had to do was make sure my bank details on my Student Loans Company account were correct and matched up with the bank details I was going to submit on the form.
News. Student living loans (in England) to rise 2.5% for the 2024/5 academic year. This is another real terms CUT that is, in my view a threat to social mobility. Full info here… https://t.co/0pUsODinUV
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) January 29, 2024
Then I downloaded the form off the GOV.UK website and had to add some personal details including my customer reference number and National Insurance number.
After that, I ticked which tax year I believed my refund was for and ticked some terms and conditions.
The final step was to send the form to the provided email address and wait.
I really had no idea what to expect because of how hard I tried years ago to get the money back.
I was also hesitant because at the time of my refund application, an automated email said it could take 28 days to process.
But to my shock, I received an email the very next day titled “good news!” which it was indeed.
Who is Martin Lewis?
Student Loans Company informed me I was entitled to a £92 refund and that it would arrive in my bank account in five working days – and it did.
This was my first time being successful in getting any ‘official’ kind of money back and I can’t lie, it felt good and certainly helped during the very financially mundane January.
Recommended reading:
What did Martin Lewis say about student loans?
I know I won’t be alone in paying back accidental student finance as in the last tax year, over one million university graduates overpaid their student loans, according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Money Saving Expert.
Just some of the reasons many may have overpaid could be due to making repayments despite not earning enough or you’re on the wrong repayment plan.
So, my advice is if you think you’re entitled to any sort of student loan refund over the last few years, give it a go because for the sake of a few minutes, it could be life-changing.
You can find more information about student loans on the GOV.UK website.
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