Answers · UK 2025/26
When does a student loan get written off in the UK?
Write-off dates depend on your plan. Plan 1: 25 years after entering repayment, or at age 65. Plan 2: 30 years after entering repayment. Plan 5 (from Aug 2023): 40 years after graduation. Postgraduate loans: 30 years after graduating. Loans are also written off if you die or become permanently disabled.
Full answer
The repayment clock starts the April after you leave your course (not when you took the money). Plan 1 (started before Sept 2012 in England/Wales; Scotland/NI different): written off 25 years after first due to repay, or at age 65, whichever is earlier. Threshold £24,990 (2025/26), rate 9% above threshold. Plan 2 (started Sept 2012 – July 2023 in England/Wales): written off 30 years after first due to repay. Threshold £27,295 (2025/26), rate 9%. Plan 4 (Scotland only): threshold £31,395, 30-year write-off. Plan 5 (started Aug 2023+): written off 40 years after graduation. Threshold £25,000 (2025/26), rate 9%. Postgraduate Loan: threshold £21,000, rate 6%, 30-year write-off. Key practical point: most graduates on Plan 2 and Plan 5 never fully repay — the IFS estimates around 65–75% of Plan 2 borrowers will have balances written off. This makes the student loan behave more like a graduate income tax than a conventional debt for the majority of borrowers.
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This answer is informational only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are for the 2025/26 UK tax year. See our methodology and sources.