Temporary Student Loan Relief?

Hi all,

My wife (US citizen) and I (UK citizen) are moving to the UK in 6 weeks..

She has large student loan payments, and is leaving her well paid lawyer job in 2 weeks. She will be unemployed in the UK for the first few months.

I however have a good income lined up in the UK.

We would like to get some temporary relief on her student loans during the months she is unemployed (not avoid paying, but perhaps not pay $700 per month) 

Does anyone have any experience in this area? Will they count my UK income and insist she still pays a lot? Is it negotiable?

Thanks.

Hey,

What she needs to do is call her loan company and see what her options are. Quite a few companies do have options for people who are unemployed. She could look into getting them deferred or have a forbearance. None, one or both of them (depending on her loan types) will continue to earn interest. Some companies are easier to work with than others.

If she has Nelnet, she doesn't need to worry about calling in to ask about options. They're the company I have and they are awesome. I don't really know much about other lienholders...

Cheers

Many thanks.. is my UK income likely to be a key factor in that discussion?

Many thanks.. is my UK income likely to be a key factor in that discussion?

Depends on who holds the loans.  If based on income and you file(d) joint returns, your income will affect payments.

It's her loan... we only recently got married, to the last filing was not joint, the next one WILL be.

Nope. It shouldn't have anything to do with it. The loans are in her name only and the only way it might have something to do with it is if you were filing joint taxes and she was looking into Income Based Repayment.

Out of curiosity,why do you want to file joint US taxes? You do realise that means you have to get an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/taxpayer-identification-numbers-tin) and it puts you onto the IRS radar. Or do you have a SSN or ITIN already?

edit:
This is a good thread that discusses filing jointly vs separately.
http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=84614.msg1116305#msg1116305 (meant this one)

It's her loan... we only recently got married, to the last filing was not joint, the next one WILL be.

I realise my statement was worded badly.  When I said depends on who holds the loan, I meant the loan provider (not the named person on the loan).  As Lyonaria said, if she has income based repayments and you file joint taxes your income WILL affect repayments.