Factcard
Student Loan recovery
Repayment thresholds and rates for Plans 1, 2, 4, 5 and Postgraduate loans. Plan 5 applies to students in England who started their course after 1 August 2023 — earliest repayments begin 6 April 2026.
Thresholds & deduction rates
| Plan | Threshold 2025-26 | Threshold 2026-27 | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £26,065 pa · £2,172.08 pm · £501.25 pw | £26,900 pa · £2,241.66 pm · £517.30 pw | 9% |
| Plan 2 | £28,470 pa · £2,372.50 pm · £547.50 pw | £29,385 pa · £2,448.75 pm · £565.09 pw | 9% |
| Plan 4 | £32,745 pa · £2,728.75 pm · £629.71 pw | £33,795 pa · £2,816.25 pm · £649.90 pw | 9% |
| Plan 5 | — | £25,000 pa · £2,083.33 pm · £480.76 pw | 9% |
| Postgraduate | £21,000 pa · £1,750 pm · £403.84 pw | £21,000 pa · £1,750 pm · £403.84 pw | 6% |
pa = per annum · pm = per month · pw = per week
What this means: The Student Loan Company tells HMRC the plan type via SL1. Plan 5 deductions begin on the April 2026 payroll — make sure your software has been updated.
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