Consumer complaint received 2019-02-08
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: NY
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Received bad information about your loan

Complaint:
I have had XXXX payments for the past 5 years. When XXXX XXXX  did my annual recalculation in XX/XX/XXXX, they increased my monthly payment even though my income had decreased and my number of dependents remained the same. 

I contacted them in writing on XX/XX/XXXX to get them to address and correct the recalculation. They did not respond. 

I called on XX/XX/XXXX ( Employee # XXXX ) and was told that my " request to have my IBR  reviewed '' was received XX/XX/XXXX and was " in process. '' I was told I would receive a response by XX/XX/XXXX. I did not. 

I called again on XX/XX/XXXX ( Employee ID XXXX ) and this time was told that my IBR  was NOT being reviewed but that I could submit an application to change my IBR to "  REPAYE '' which would make my new monthly payment {$220.00}. The rep explained that for the first month I would pay {$5.00} ( while the IBR transfer application was being processed ) and then my new payment would kick in. I completed my REPAYE application on XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from XXXX approving my transfer to REPAYE and stating that my monthly payment of {$220.00} would be " first due on XX/XX/XXXX. '' On XX/XX/XXXX, however, I was sent a letter that I was now enrolled in the " standard repayment plan '' and my monthly payment would be {$750.00}. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called ( Employee ID XXXX ) and was told that XXXX would be my {$5.00} forbearance month ( instead of XXXX as it should have been ) and that my new REPAYE plan amount would kick in for XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received my XXXX bill for the incorrect standard repayment plan amount of {$750.00}. I called ( Employee ID XXXX ) and was told that my IBR  transfer to REPAYE had not yet been processed because they are " backed up. '' She said that letter issued XX/XX/XXXX approving the REPAYE plan was " premature '' and was " sent in error. '' They offered to give me a one  month administrative forbearance for XXXX which I was forced to accept because I can not afford the standard payment amount. The Rep also told me that she could NOT guarantee that the REPAYE application would be processed in time for the XXXX billing cycle and that we'd just have to " wait and see. '' As a result of XXXX 's incompetency and repeated delays I have already lost 3 months of PSLF payments and will potentially lose a 4th. 

XXXX : 1 ) made an error with my annual IBR  recalculation in XX/XX/XXXX ; 2 ) failed  to review the recalculation when I requested ( and failed to correct their error ) ; 3 ) failed to properly process my IBR transfer request to REPAYE ; 4 ) failed to properly bill me during XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX. 

Please note, that I submitted my annual recalculation documentation to XXXX in XXXX of XXXX and they failed to process it until XX/XX/XXXX - just 3 weeks before the new payment amount was to take effect. Had XXXX processed my recalculation in a timely manner there would have been ample time to address and correct these issues before the new payment was to take effect and I would have been able to avoid a 3 month forbearance which negatively impacts my PSLF.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief