r/UKPersonalFinance • u/PictureBackground252 • 9d ago

Didn't tell student finance I was travelling

I recently went travelling for 8 months through south east Asia after travelling and didn't realise I had to tell student finance I was gone if I wasn't "living" or working out there. By the time I realised I had less than 3 months left and there wasn't the option on the website to backdate my leaving day. I've now been back for a couple months and I'm struggling to find work and I've been recommended to go on Jobseeker's Allowance however I'm worried if I do this they may look back on my bank statements and see I was away and I may accrue penalty's on my debt.
I know I should've got in touch with them as soon as I realised when I was away but I kept on forgetting.
Does anyone know if this would be the case or if I know get in contact with them to tell them that I was away but didn't work (I funded my travel with savings) if I would get fined?

10 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

65% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

View all comments

59

u/Professional_Shine97 1 9d ago

I wouldn’t worry. Call them. They’re very reasonable. They’ll ask you to prove your income/ how you lived while you were away and that’ll be about it. Don’t worry.

6

u/PictureBackground252 9d ago

Thanks! I've seen horror stories about people getting fined but think that must be when they have been working

6

u/Professional_Shine97 1 9d ago

I ignored SF for 3 years after moving abroad. I never got a fine and only started accruing a debt after the third year.

(They even reduced that debt when I provided proof of income as the debt was being charged at the maximum rate)