Updated 5 October 2026: Estimate 2026/27 student-loan deductions from monthly employment pay and check the standard write-off rule for your repayment plan. This tool uses current UK repayment thresholds and payroll-style monthly rounding.
🎓 Student Loan Repayment & Write-off Checker 2026/27
Estimate your monthly payroll deduction using current thresholds, then see the standard write-off rule for your plan.
Your estimated payroll deduction
Your normal income-contingent repayment is based on earnings above your plan threshold, not on how large your outstanding balance is. Near the end of repayment, SLC can arrange Direct Debit to help avoid over-repayment.
If you have more than one undergraduate plan, the calculation is not simply 9% for every plan. If you also have a Postgraduate Loan, its 6% repayment can run alongside the applicable undergraduate-plan repayment. Use official guidance for multi-plan cases.
Figures checked: 5 October 2026 • 2026/27 tax year
Student loan repayment thresholds for 2026/27
From 6 April 2026, the annual repayment thresholds are £26,900 for Plan 1, £29,385 for Plan 2, £33,795 for Plan 4, £25,000 for Plan 5 and £21,000 for a Postgraduate Loan. Plan 1, 2, 4 and 5 repayments are 9% of earnings above the relevant threshold. Postgraduate Loan repayments are 6% above their threshold.
Why your payslip repayment is not simply annual salary divided by 12
For employees, deductions are normally calculated against the threshold for each pay period. That means a bonus or overtime can trigger a repayment in a particular month even if earnings are different in other months. Official payroll calculations also round the deduction down to the nearest whole pound.
Example: Plan 2 with £3,200 monthly pay
The 2026/27 Plan 2 monthly threshold is £2,448.75. On £3,200 gross pay, £751.25 is above the threshold. Nine per cent is £67.61, which is rounded down to an estimated £67 student-loan deduction for that monthly pay period.
When are Plan 1 student loans written off?
Plan 1 has two main write-off rules. If the first loan for the course was paid on or after 1 September 2006, the loan is normally written off 25 years after the April you were first due to repay. If the first loan was paid before 1 September 2006, it is normally written off when you reach age 65.
When are Plan 2 and Plan 5 loans written off?
Plan 2 loans are normally written off 30 years after the April you were first due to repay. Plan 5 loans have a longer standard period: 40 years after the April you were first due to repay.
What about Plan 4 in Scotland?
Plan 4 is included because Scottish borrowers use it. If the first loan was paid on or after 1 August 2007, the standard write-off point is 30 years after the April you were first due to repay. For earlier loans, GOV.UK gives the rule as age 65 or 30 years after that April, whichever comes first.
When are Postgraduate Loans written off?
For borrowers from England or Wales, Postgraduate Loans are normally written off 30 years after the April they were first due to repay. Postgraduate borrowers from Northern Ireland use Plan 1 and postgraduate borrowers from Scotland use Plan 4 instead.
Does my student-loan balance change my normal monthly repayment?
Normally, no. The income-contingent repayment is driven by earnings above your plan threshold, rather than by the outstanding balance. The balance matters for whether you will eventually repay the loan in full and for interest, but it is not the basis of the standard payroll percentage calculation.
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Important information
This calculator provides a simplified payroll estimate for one repayment plan at a time. Multiple loan plans, a Postgraduate Loan alongside an undergraduate loan, Self Assessment, overseas repayment schedules and irregular pay can change the calculation. Check your SLC online account and current GOV.UK guidance for your actual repayment position and write-off terms.