"Damning levels of incompetence" report means SLC bosses should resign (Newcastle upon Tyne Liberal Democrats)

Newcastle upon Tyne Liberal Democrats <info@newcastle-libdems.org.uk>

"Damning levels of incompetence" report means SLC bosses should resign

November 8, 2009 3:40 PM
Originally published by Greg Stone

Greg Stone, Lib Dem parliamentary spokesman for Newcastle East, has welcomed the publication of a damning report into massive administrative failures at the Student Loans Company, which has overseen severe delays and financial hardship through non-payment of loans to students this summer.

Thousands of students have been affected by the incompetent handling of the situation by the SLC; barely 5% of phone calls were answered at peak times and those affected have received neither funding nor information as to when the problems will be solved, leading to serious financial hardship for many which has forced some to drop out university completely. The report found that the processing system had faced problems with lost documents, failures with equipment and difficulties with the online application system.

Lib Dem spokesman for Newcastle East Greg Stone said "It is hard to disagree with the view of the NUS that given the catalogue of failures identified by this report, heads must roll if the public are to have any confidence in the SLC in the future and of the UCU university teaching union that the whole situation has been an utter fiasco."

The Liberal Democrats higher education spokesman Stephen Williams MP said: "The government must not be allowed to shrug off all responsibility for this fiasco. Ministers failed to ensure the SLC was delivering what was expected of it and they must explain why they did not intervene earlier.This report is truly damning, revealing a breathtaking level of incompetence within the Student Loans Company."