Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with (a) HM Revenue and Customs and (b) the Student Loans Company on graduate student loan overpayments.

The Department for Education works closely with HM Revenue and Customs and the Student Loans Company (SLC) on all aspects of the operation of the student loan repayment system, including the issue of over-repayments made at the end of a borrower’s loan term.

There is already a scheme in place to help prevent borrowers over-repaying at the end of their loan terms. SLC tells borrowers up to two years before they are due to finish repaying their loans that they may complete their loan repayments by direct debit, rather than through the tax system. Borrowers who take up the option to repay by direct debit do not over-repay their loans.

Any borrower who has over-repaid after repaying their loan balance in full can contact SLC to have the money refunded to them.