How to complain (SfC and Student Loans)

My son has been seriously messed around by a combination of Scottish Funding Council and Student Loans Company (you apply to SfC, but SLC manage your account). Basically yesterday saw back payment for the last three months. However it also revealed that they have still not sent him all he is due, that another mistake has come to light. Basically they have had his bank details wrong four times – we even took screenshots and photo’s to prove we had put them in correctly. And each time a payment is sent to the wrong place it takes 30 days to investigate for anti-fraud and another two weeks to then send money. In all this time since September he basically has had two letters and no active contacting to help sort. He is also passed from pillar to post between SfC and SLC.

If his parents had not had savings he would have dropped out of Uni. He had a poor start to uni and has poor mental health, and this has been a real festering sore for him.

On yesterdays call he and mrs_oab asked about the formal complaints and how we can perhaps have an explanation for how things such as wrong bank details can occur, and when he can expect the outstanding £300… They were basically fobbed off.

So – do we go full nuclear and cc in something like MP to a written complaint? I have the Head of Corporate Governance address / email to go to SfC.

According to Chat GPT

Student Loans Company (SLC):

The SLC aims to resolve issues promptly and encourages initial contact with their customer advisors. If your concern isn’t resolved through this informal approach, you can escalate it by filing a formal complaint. The process involves several stages:
1. Initial Contact: Speak with a customer advisor to address your concern directly.
2. Formal Complaint: If unresolved, submit a formal complaint to the Customer Relations Unit. You can do this by:
• Email: customer_complaints@slc.co.uk
• Mail: Customer Relations Unit, Student Loans Company, 10 Clyde Place, Glasgow, G5 8DF
Ensure you include your Customer Reference Number (CRN) and detailed information about your complaint. 
3. Escalation: If the issue remains unresolved after the initial review, it can be escalated to a senior manager and, if necessary, to an Independent Assessor or the Financial Ombudsman Service. 

Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS):

SAAS is responsible for providing financial support to eligible students in Scotland. If you have a complaint regarding their services:
1. Initial Contact: Reach out to SAAS directly to discuss your concerns.
2. Formal Complaint: If the issue isn’t resolved, follow the SAAS complaints procedure, which includes completing a complaints form. 

Additional Resources:
• Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO): If you’re dissatisfied with the outcome after exhausting the complaints procedures of SLC or SAAS, you can escalate your complaint to the SPSO. They handle complaints about public services in Scotland. 
• Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA): For students in England and Wales, the OIA reviews unresolved complaints about higher education institutions. 

It’s advisable to keep detailed records of all communications and responses throughout the complaint process to ensure a thorough review of your case.