Student Loans: Misleading Practices

Lord Paddick Excerpts

Thursday 3rd July 2014 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Paddick]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they propose to take in respect of the Student Loans Company and the reports that it has employed misleading practices to ensure that graduates keep up with their debt repayments.

[Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con)]

My Lords, it is important that the Government recover taxpayers’ money, but they must do so in a way which is fair. They must not use misleading tactics to get people to do the right thing. The Student Loans Company has now stopped issuing letters under the Smith Lawson brand and we are speaking to it to ensure that lessons are learnt and that its procedures and correspondence are brought into line with industry best practice.

[Lord Paddick (LD)]

I thank my noble friend for that response. The practice of companies sending threatening letters falsely representing themselves as debt collection agencies is something that we might expect of payday loan companies, but not of a government agency. Will the Minister please reassure the House that in every case where one of these misleading letters has been sent, the Student Loans Company will now write to the individuals concerned to put the record straight?

[Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon]

First, I assure my noble friend and, indeed, the House that this practice has ceased. It was brought to our attention on 27 June. I believe that since then only two further letters have been issued manually, in error. I take on board the point that my noble friend makes. This afternoon, the chairman of the SLC will talk to my right honourable friends the Secretary of State for Business and the Minister for Universities and Science. They will look at what other remedial action is necessary. However I assure the House, once again, that this activity has now ceased.