Consumer complaint received 2018-10-18
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan — Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Company: AES/PHEAA (TX)

XX/XX/XXXX an Income Driven Plan was discussed and filed. Payments were dropping from {$860.00} to {$520.00} approx. 

XX/XX/XXXX, Called XXXX the website said I would hear back by XX/XX/XXXX, next day it said I would hear back by XX/XX/XXXX, then it said I would hear back by XX/XX/XXXX. I had not heard a word since XXXX XXXX. Agent on the phone said nothing had been processed ; could not find my info. He said he would do a temporary deferment and charge me {$5.00} to process my IDR and I would not be billed for XX/XX/XXXX/XX/XX/XXXX and would get my new payment billed by XXXX due date. 

XX/XX/XXXX I made the {$5.00} payment agent had asked for. 
XX/XX/XXXX I received a separate bill and paid ANOTHER {$5.00} for processing. 

XX/XX/XXXX I get a bill for {$890.00}. NO IDR INFO ON MY ACCOUNT OTHER THAN A RECEIPT OF FORM ON XX/XX/XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX I called again and was told to disregard the bill for {$890.00} that the IDR was processing with a rush status and I would get new bill in 48 hours. I asked for an email or letter stating that I was told to disregard this bill. XXXX said she would send me an email that day so I could prove our conversation. 

XX/XX/XXXX No email or info received from XXXX. I called again and the agent verified a rush was put on my account. He told me to wait until Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, and I would have my new payment bill. He said this would replace the XXXX bill for {$890.00}. 

XX/XX/XXXX, a week + 1 day later. Still no info from FedLoan.org. Called and finally got to an " escalated loan manager '', because they refuse to let us speak to management. She says the same story as the lies I lived thru the last 3 months. Now I wait another 48 hours for her to put a " rush status '' on processing my IDR. HOWEVER, she is forcing me to pay {$890.00} for the month of XXXX because it takes 2 billing cycles to process. I told her this will be the 4th billing cycle and they still haven't done their job to process my IDR so this is not my fault. She does not care, holding me responsible to pay {$890.00} until they decide to finalize my IDR. 

Hoping they won't lose the form, or fail to process it again, I am filing a complaint. I did inform her that I am one of the few who are honestly trying to repay my student loan. I had it on deferment last year due to a XXXX and now have been trying to get my payments finalized since XXXX. They are such a stressful agency, failing to do their job, taking 4 to 6 months to process ONE FORM!!! It is unbelievable our government agency for student loans would do this to people, much less adding stress for XXXX survivors. I indeed tried to get this finalized in XXXX to avoid such stress induced situations from their office Please help. I'm XXXX, recovering from a XXXX last year and trying to work when I can as well as pay my account. And employee # XXXX has the nerve to insinuate if I'm working then just pay the {$890.00}!!!! I do believe the agents handling my account are breaking consumer protection laws by their comments and reluctance to do their jobs and process things ... blaming it on the consumer, etc.