when do student loans get written off uk

Student loans fall into one of five repayment plans: Plan 1, Plan 2, Plan 4, Plan 5, and the Postgraduate Loan. If you are unsure which repayment plan your debt falls under, you can find out in our article "Student Loan Repayments: Everything You Need to Know", then come straight back!

Very broadly:

• Plan 1 – most English/Welsh students who started before September 2012, and most Northern Irish borrowers.​
• Plan 2 – most English/Welsh undergraduates who started between September 2012 and July 2023.​
• Plan 4 – Scottish students (undergraduate and many postgraduates).​
• Plan 5 – English students who started on or after 1 August 2023.
• Postgraduate – Master’s and Doctoral loans for students from England and Wales.

Now that you know which plan your student loan debt belongs to, let's explore what this means for writing off your student loan debt.

Plan 1: 25 Years or Age 65

If your student loan falls under Plan 1, the date your debt will be written off depends on when you received your first loan for the course:​

• If you received your first loan before 1 September 2006, your loans will be written off when you reach age 65.
• If you received your first loan on or after 1 September 2006, your loans will be written off 25 years after the April you were first due to start your repayments.

In practice, this typically means that Plan 1 loans are paid off in your 40s, 50s, or by age 65, depending on when you studied and began repayment.

From 6 April 2026, Plan 1 repayments are only taken if you earn more than £26,900 a year, which is about £2,242 a month before tax.​

Plan 2: 30-Year Time Limit (With a Threshold Freeze)

If your student loan falls into Plan 2, you can expect it to be written off 30 years after the April when you were first due to start your repayments

Plan 2 covers most English and Welsh undergraduates who started their course from September 2012 up to July 2023. Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests that only around half of Plan 2 borrowers will ever fully repay their loans before they are written off.

From 6 April 2026:

• You only repay if your income is above £29,385 a year, roughly £2,449 a month.
• You pay 9% of whatever you earn above that threshold.

The government has announced that the Plan 2 threshold will remain at £29,385 until at least April 2030, instead of increasing with inflation. This means that as your wages (hopefully) increase, a larger portion of your income will be directed towards loan repayments over time.

Plan 4 (Scotland): 30 Years or Age 65

If your student loan falls into Plan 4, the write-off rules again depend on when you first borrowed:

• If you received your first loan before 1 August 2007, your loans will be written off when you turn 65, or 30 years after the April you were first due to start your repayments — whichever happens first.
• If you received your first loan on or after 1 August 2007, your loans will be written off 30 years after the April you were first due to start your repayments.

From 6 April 2026, you only repay Plan 4 if you earn more than £33,795 a year, roughly £2,816 a month, and you pay 9% of anything above that.​

You’ll notice a bit of a theme, and it's quite safe to assume you will be at least 50 years old before your loan is written off!

Plan 5 (New English System): 40-Year Write-Off

If your student loan falls under Plan 5, it will be written off 40 years after the April you were first due to start your repayments. This is the longest write-off period of any UK student loan plan.

Plan 5 is designed for English students who started university on or after 1 August 2023. For example, if you graduate in 2027 and are first due to repay in April 2028, your loan will be written off in April 2068, even if you still owe money at that time.

Key points from April 2026:

• Repayments for Plan 5 will begin for the first time from April 2026.​
• You repay only if you earn more than £25,000 a year (about £2,083 a month).
• You pay 9% of whatever you earn above £25,000.
• Interest on Plan 5 is set at RPI only (no extra 3% added), which is cheaper than Plan 2 for most higher earners.​

The trade-off is simple: lower interest, but you start paying earlier and keep paying for longer.

Postgraduate Loan (England & Wales): 30-Year Write-Off

If you continue your education to postgraduate level, and you are from England or Wales, your Postgraduate Loan will be written off 30 years after the April you were first due to start your repayments.

From April 2026:

• You repay only if your income is above £21,000 a year (around £1,750 a month).
• You pay 6% of whatever you earn above that amount.

This threshold has remained at £21,000 since the loan was introduced in 2016, so in real terms, more people are being pulled into repayment every year.​

If you're from Northern Ireland, postgraduate loans broadly follow Plan 1-style repayment rules.
If you're Scottish, your postgraduate borrowing follows Plan 4 rules.​

Again, the rules are very similar, and you won’t get rid of your debt without a long wait. However, there are other less common situations to be aware of that will also influence when your student loan debt is written off.

Illness or Disability: When You Can No Longer Work

In some cases, your loan might be cancelled early if you're unable to continue working.

If you can no longer work due to a permanent illness or disability, your student loan may be written off. The criteria are strict:

• You must be permanently unfit for work due to physical or mental disability.
• You will usually require medical evidence, and in some cases, confirmation that you are receiving long-term disability benefits.​
• The Student Loans Company assesses each case individually and may request updated evidence.​

If your application is accepted:

• Your entire remaining student loan balance is cancelled.
• No further repayments are taken.
• There is no tax bill for the amount written off.​

Even if you don’t qualify for a full write-off, keep in mind: if your income falls below your repayment threshold, your repayments stop automatically until your income increases again. This safety net applies to every plan

Death: The Loan Dies With You

If you... and there’s no nice way to say this... if you pass away, the Student Loans Company will cancel your loan. They will require an original death certificate or an official copy as proof, typically provided by your family or the executor of your estate.

Student loans do not pass on to your partner, children, or relatives. Once the loan is cancelled, no one else is liable for it.

Starting from 6 April 2026 (the 2026/27 tax year), several important changes will take place worth noting clearly:

• All plans are still income-based. You only pay if you earn above your plan’s threshold.
• Plan 1 threshold increases to £26,900 a year.
• Plan 2 threshold rises to £29,385 a year — and then remains frozen at that level until at least April 2030, meaning no inflation-linked increases for several years
• Plan 4 threshold increases to £33,795 a year.
• Plan 5 threshold is £25,000 a year — this is the first year Plan 5 repayments begin.
• Postgraduate threshold remains at £21,000 a year (frozen again).

The repayment percentages themselves haven’t changed:

• Plans 1, 2, 4 and 5: 9% of income above the threshold.
• Postgraduate: 6% of income above the threshold.

The Real Debt Guy is a qualified financial adviser and a UK debt expert. The information in this article is considered to be true and correct at the publication date.