Martin Lewis on what the student loans shake-up could cost you

Students were up in arms after reading the Financial Times scoop that the UK government is considering lowering the salary level at which graduates have to start repaying their loans. 

Currently, student loan repayments start when you earn more than £27,225 per year, but the FT has reported this could be reduced to around £23,000 in future. Any changes are expected to apply retrospectively to those who started university courses after 2012, including this week’s podcast guest, 24-year-old graduate Ola, who fears how much any changes could cost her. 

“If this is retrospective, then for me it's a breach of natural justice and it's certainly something I would be yelling about,” Martin Lewis tells Claer. “Should students be scared? Yes.”

As well as exploring the likely impact on young people’s budgets, we hear from FT reporter Bethan Staton about the political motivation for any changes to the loans system. 

Further reading:

Vote for Money Clinic in the Lovie Awards here (deadline Thursday Oct 21)

Check out Claer’s free to read FT column on how student loan changes could add up for you

Watch Martin’s YouTube video on why he opposes changes to the system 

Here’s the original FT news story on the expected changes 

Follow Ola on Instagram @AllThingsMoney     

Follow Claer on Instagram and Twitter @ClaerB and send her a DM if you’d like to appear as a future guest, or email the team on money@ft.com 

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced and edited by Persis Love. Sound design by Breen Turner.

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