ESTIMATEIllustrative estimates for the 2026/27 tax year (6 April 2026 – 5 April 2027) as of 3 November 2026 — not financial advice. Thresholds from GOV.UK; interest rates for 1 September 2026 – 31 August 2027 from the Student Loans Company. Your payslip may differ by a pound or two because payroll rounds each pay period.
Write-off rules by plan
- Plan 1 (England and Wales): if your first loan was for the 2006/07 academic year or later, 25 years after the April you were first due to repay. If your loans were taken before 2006/07, the loan is cancelled when you turn 65. In Northern Ireland the dividing line is the 2007/08 academic year.
- Plan 2: 30 years after the April you were first due to repay. Plan 2 repayments could not start before April 2016, so the earliest Plan 2 write-offs will be in April 2046.
- Plan 4 (Scotland): 30 years after the April you were first due to repay for loans from 2007/08; for earlier loans, at age 65 or after 30 years, whichever comes first.
- Plan 5: 40 years after the April you were first due to repay. A student who started in September 2023 on a three-year course is first due to repay in April 2027, so the loan would be cancelled in April 2067.
- Postgraduate Loan: 30 years after the April you were first due to repay.
Example write-off dates
| Plan | Situation | First due to repay | Written off |
|---|
| Plan 1 | Graduated 2011 (loan from 2008/09) | April 2012 | April 2037 |
| Plan 2 | Graduated 2015 | April 2016 | April 2046 |
| Plan 2 | Graduated 2022 | April 2023 | April 2053 |
| Plan 4 | Graduated 2014 | April 2015 | April 2045 |
| Plan 5 | Started 2023, graduated 2026 | April 2027 | April 2067 |
| Postgraduate | Master’s finished 2020 | April 2021 | April 2051 |
“First due to repay” is normally the April after you leave your course — whether you graduate or drop out — and not the date you actually start paying. If you earned less than the threshold for years, the clock was still running.
How likely is it that your loan will be written off?
That depends on balance, plan and lifetime earnings. Plan 2 combines high balances with interest of up to RPI + 3% and a 30-year term, so a large share of Plan 2 graduates are expected not to repay in full. Plan 5 was designed to change that, with a 40-year term and a lower threshold. Our salary articles include an illustrative projection — for example on £30,000 a £45,000 Plan 2 balance is written off with about £104,159 left, whereas on £80,000 it is cleared in about 12 years.
Do you pay tax on a written-off student loan?
No. A student loan write-off is not treated as income and there is no tax to pay when it is cancelled. It does not affect your credit file either, because student loans are not reported to credit reference agencies.
Other ways a loan is cancelled
Loans are cancelled on death; your family does not inherit the debt. They can also be cancelled if you become permanently unfit for work because of disability and receive certain disability-related benefits — you apply to the Student Loans Company with evidence. There is no write-off for bankruptcy: student loans are not included in bankruptcy or debt relief orders.
What to do as the date approaches
Check your balance and write-off date in your SLC online account. If you are close to repaying in full, the SLC may offer to move you to Direct Debit for the final period so you do not over-repay through payroll. If deductions continue after the loan is written off or fully repaid, claim a refund.
FAQ
When is a Plan 2 student loan written off?
30 years after the April you were first due to repay — usually the April after you left your course. The first Plan 2 write-offs will happen in April 2046.
When is a Plan 1 student loan written off?
For loans from the 2006/07 academic year onwards in England and Wales, 25 years after the April you were first due to repay. Older loans are cancelled at age 65.
When is a Plan 5 student loan written off?
40 years after the April you were first due to repay. For a three-year course starting in 2023, that is April 2067.
Do I pay tax when my student loan is written off?
No. The cancelled amount is not taxable income and does not appear on your credit file.
Is a student loan written off when you die?
Yes. Student loans are cancelled on death and are not passed on to family members.
Related student loan articles
Postgraduate Loan repayments6% over £21,000, on top of Plan 2 or 5Repaying two student loans at oncePlan 1 + Plan 2, Plan 2 + PostgraduateHow to get a student loan refundBonus months, low earners and overpayingStudent loan thresholds 2026/27Every plan, per year, month and weekWhich student loan plan am I on?Plan 1, 2, 4, 5 or PostgraduatePlan 2 vs Plan 5 explainedThresholds, interest and lifetime costShould I overpay my student loan?When overpaying saves money — and when it doesn’tStudent loan on £30,000Plan 2 £4/mo · Plan 5 £37/moStudent loan on £80,000Plan 2 £379/mo · Plan 5 £412/moStudent loan repayment calculatorAll plans, any salary
Sources
- GOV.UK, Repaying your student loan – what you pay: 2026/27 thresholds Plan 1 £26,900, Plan 2 £29,385, Plan 4 £33,795, Plan 5 £25,000, Postgraduate Loan £21,000; 9% (6% for PGL) of income above the threshold; rules for more than one plan (read 3 November 2026).
- Student Loans Company / Department for Education, Student loans interest rates and repayment threshold announcement, 10 August 2026: RPI 4.1%; Plan 1 4.1%; Plan 2 4.1%–7.1% capped at 6%; Plan 3 (Postgraduate) capped at 6%; Plan 5 4.1% (1 Sep 2026 – 31 Aug 2027); Plan 1 threshold £28,005 from 6 April 2027.
- Department for Education press release, Interest rate cap introduced to protect Plan 2 borrowers, 7 April 2026, and written ministerial statement of 13 April 2026: 6% cap for 2026/27; Plan 2 upper interest threshold £52,885 from 6 April 2026.
- Autumn Budget 2025 (26 November 2025): Plan 2 repayment threshold frozen at £29,385 for 2027/28 to 2029/30 (reported by Which?, 5 December 2025).
- Take-home pay: HMRC 2026/27 income tax and National Insurance for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (personal allowance £12,570, 8%/2% employee NI), as used on our UK salary after tax pages.