Annual Statements
Annual Statements are sent out in September of each year to the address we hold for you. This is one of the reasons why it is important to let us know in case your contact details change.
The statement will cover the period from the preceding September to August of the current year. The statement lists transactions during the period in question, the applicable interest rate, and the balance outstanding – including any arrears. It is important to note that the statement is for information purposes and not a demand for payment.
Change of circumstance
Should there be a change of circumstance – including name or address change – please send us the revised details, writing to the address listed in the Contacts page. If you are unable to make your repayments as a result of a change in circumstance, please call us on 0333 004 5045 to discuss the situation in more detail.
If, at any time, your income drops below the threshold level established for loan repayments by the Government and you wish to apply to defer your payments, please contact us on 0333 004 5045. The income threshold for the 2024-2025 academic year is £39,543 (equivalent to £3,295.25 per month).
Please note that deferment can be backdated up to three months, at our discretion, which means that three or less payments might not be classified as arrears if your deferral application is accepted by the Student Loans Company.
Complaints
In order to handle your complaint as quickly and effectively as possible, please contact us on 0333 004 5045. Should you want to take matters further, please send your written complaint to:
Thesis Servicing
PO Box 141
Caerphilly
CF83 9BX
We will issue a complaint form for you to complete and return, in line with our complaints procedure, which is available on request.
Data Request
If you require reprints of previously received documents under s77/78 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, you can make your request by contacting Thesis Servicing, Po Box 141, Caerphilly, CF83 9BX. Alternatively, you may call us on 03330 045045.
- Copies of original loan agreements
- Annual Statement reprints
You are able to make a Data Subject Access Request for access to your personal data and we will not charge you for this request. However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive. We will respond within one month. If your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests, we may extend this period by a further two calendar months and we shall explain our reasons.
Please note that we may ask you to provide us with additional documentation to verify your identity before we action your request. This is to ensure we are dealing with the correct individual and also for Anti-Money Laundering purposes. We will tell you when we ask for your information whether it is a statutory or contractual requirement to give us the information and the consequences of not providing the information.
Deferment
Each year, the Government establishes an income threshold, below which student loan repayments can be deferred by (repeated) one-year periods. Deferment acceptance decisions are taken by the Student Loans Company upon application and a new application is required for each 12-month period.
The income threshold for deferment is set each year at 85% of average national earnings. The income threshold for the 2024-2025 academic year is £39,543 (equivalent to £3,295.25 per month).
The calculation is made on a gross basis and includes most types of income, such as salary, bonus payments, rental income and certain social security benefits. Only the applicant’s income is taken into account.
Please note that if you are providing financial evidence in currency other than sterling, the Student Loans Company use the HMRC exchange rate mechanism when assessing threshold eligibility.
If you are currently not in deferment and would like to make a deferment application, please contact us on 0333 004 5045. Applications for deferment can be made at any time. You can request a deferment form that needs to be sent back to the Student Loans Company, together with various documents listed on the form. Please note that deferment does not become effective until confirmed by the Student Loans Company. Scheduled monthly repayments continue to be due until your application has been accepted. Interest charges will continue to accrue in deferment.
If you are currently in deferment, a renewal form will be sent to you eight weeks before the end of the deferment period. If you have not received it four weeks before the end of your deferment period, please contact us to request a form.
Deferment application advice
Your application should include your completed deferment form and photocopies of your evidence – do not send original copies as they will not be returned. You need to provide proof of your income for the last 3 months including any benefit payments. All evidence provided must clearly show your name to confirm you as the recipient. Acceptable documentation to support your application includes:
Income from Employment:
- Payslips for the last 3 months (all employment frequencies) – photocopies only – do not send originals. The Student Loans Company cannot accept handwritten payslips.
- Signed and Dated Employer Letter on company headed paper confirming gross income for the last 3 months.
- If you are self-employed, you can provide a copy of your latest Tax Submission (from previous January). Online tax returns should be 100% complete and have been submitted. If you are within the first year of self-employment, a copy of your Unique Taxpayer Reference letter or HMRC Registration letter and a letter from your accountant or a copy of your financial accounts to show net profit are required. Further information can be found in Section 1 of the notes provided with your deferment pack.
Income from State Benefits:
- A copy of your most recent benefit award letter, dated within last 12 months.
- A copy of your Bank statement to show benefits credited to your account.
- Further information and a list of excluded benefits can be found in Section 2 of the notes provided with your deferment pack.
Other Means of support:
This section only needs to be completed if you are receiving an income from any other source other than the income referred to in sections 1 or 2. If you have an income from any of the other sources please refer to Section 3 of the notes included with your deferment pack for information on what you can provide; please send photocopies of the documents included with your application. For example:
- Third Party Support – signed and dated letter from the person who supports you which states that the level of support received does not exceed the monthly deferment threshold value as stated above.
- Income from savings – If you are living off an income from savings please provide a bank statement to show sufficient balance to support your financial commitments with an accompanying letter confirming that the balance is your only source of income.
- Maintenance Payments – copy of the maintenance agreement letter confirming the amount of support provided by the person making the payment to you.
Top Tips!
- Send photocopied evidence only, not originals
- Remember to sign and date your application
- Ensure you return the form to the Student Loans Company, using the enclosed envelope
Disabled customers
You may be eligible for allowances to be deducted from your gross income for the regular income assessment purpose. Please contact us to discuss this process and to obtain the corresponding documentation.
Interest Rate
Interest is linked to the rate of inflation and is adjusted each year in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI), based on the position in March. We will be advised of any changes to the interest by the Government’s Department for Education (DfE) and we will inform you of the changes and how this will affect your monthly repayments. The rate based on the position in March is applicable from 1st September until 31st August the following year. The interest is calculated daily at the appropriate rate from the day the loan commenced. Interest is applied to the account on a monthly basis.
As from 1st September 2024 until 31st August 2025 the new interest rate to be applied to all loans currently serviced by Thesis Servicing will be 4.3%, as interest is linked solely to the RPI. The new interest rate is defined as the RPI for March 2024. Interest will continue to be applied to accounts during any period of deferment.
Each September following the application of the new interest rate, all accounts in a repayment status will receive a new monthly repayment amount for the new 12 month period. This amount is calculated taking into account the remaining balance and term of the loan and the interest that will be accrued during the same period against the new rate.
Missed payments
Should you have missed a payment, it is essential that you contact us immediately on 0333 004 5045 to discuss the situation. It is important that any arrears are cleared as soon as possible and our team can advise you how to do so.
If your income is below the threshold level determined yearly by the Government – 85% of the national average income – you might be eligible for deferment. If your application is accepted by the Student Loans Company, deferments can be backdated for up to three months, at our discretion. This could bring your account out of arrears.
How to contact us
You can contact us by phone: 0333 004 5045
Calls may be monitored or recorded for staff training, quality and security purposes.
For general enquiries, address changes or customer information updates, deferment enquiries and to make monthly payments. We can be contacted Monday to Thursday 8.00am – 8.00pm, Friday 8.00am to 5.00pm, Saturday 9.00am – 2.00pm, Sundays and Bank Holidays: closed.
Overseas customers
Customers living abroad have the same contractual obligations as UK-based customers in respect to student loan repayments. In case you have not got a permanent UK address, your contact details abroad or a temporary UK mailing address need to be provided. If you still hold a UK bank account, we advise to set up a direct debit or standing order from this account to carry out your regular payments. Alternative methods of payment are UK cheques, international bank transfers, international money orders and payments by debit or credit card. Please note that it is not possible to set up direct debits or standing orders from a bank account outside the UK.
From abroad, you can contact us by:
Phone: +44 2920 808 684
Mail: [email protected]
Our international account details are as follows:
IBAN No: GB50 MIDL 4005 3014 2199 10
BIC: MIDLGB22
Please send your payment to LFO No8 and remember to quote your account reference number when making payments..
Please note that, if paying by cheque in foreign currency, any charges incurred in converting the payment to sterling will be deducted from the amount credited to your account.
Payment Terms
If you have up to four student loans, you are scheduled to repay in 60 monthly installments. Five or more loans are repaid over 84 months. When you commence repayment, a maturity date is calculated at which your loan is scheduled to be paid off. Should you subsequently be accepted for deferral, the maturity date will move accordingly.
Repayment Methods
We offer a wide range of payment options, including:
Direct debit: Please contact us on 0333 004 5045 to set up a direct debit facility. Please note that this can take up to ten days. Once set up, payments will be made automatically on the specified due date.
Standing order: Made payable to LFO No8, sort code 40-05-30, account number 14219910. Please quote a customer reference number which can be any one of the loan account numbers administered by Thesis Servicing.
Cheques / postal orders: Please make your cheque / postal order payable to Thesis Servicing, quoting your reference number, and send it to Thesis Servicing, PO Box 141, Caerphilly, CF83 9BX.
Debit Card Payments: You can make a card payment online or with one of our account officers by calling 0333 004 5045.
Bank transfer: Please send your payment to LFO No8, sort code: 40-05-30, account number 14219910, quoting a customer reference number, which can be any one of the loan account numbers administered by Thesis Servicing.
Internet payments:
Recipient: LFO No8
Sort Code: 40-05-30
Account Number: 14219910
Payment Reference: Please quote your account number
From abroad: IBAN No: GB50 MIDL 4005 3014 2199 10 / BIC: MIDLGB22 Please send your payment to LFO No8, quoting your account reference number.
Please note: if you are making payments for more than one loan account, please make individual payments per account.
Third party access and payments
In accordance with the Data Protection Act, we are unable to discuss your account with any other person, unless you have authorised us to do so. You might want to nominate someone else (for example, a family member or friend) to communicate with us on your behalf, especially if you are not contactable for a period of time. Please call 0333 004 5045 to arrange third party access.
We can accept payments made by third parties into your account, providing that your name and account number is communicated when the payment is made. Payments can be made via all repayment methods we offer.
Refund process
If you believe you have made an incorrect payment online or via our automated telephone service, please contact us on 03330 045 045 and we will investigate and where applicable refund the incorrect payment.
