Repayment Assistance Plan heads up

I've just ended a 45 minute phone call to NSLSC regarding my Repayment Assistance application.  I contacted them on January 21 and spoke to a very polite, pleasant and helpful guy -- I was shocked, as you all probably are, so shocked that I agreed to do their survey at the end of the call.  Anyway, he sent out the form and I filled it in per his very specific instructions, and mailed it back the same day I received it, on February1.  The instructions were to fill in Column 1, but to leave Cols. 2 and 3 blank.

On February 21 I received a letter from them stating that they are unable to process my application because there is information missing.  That's right, the information in Col. 2, the information I was specifically told not to provide.  Note that this letter states that the required information is missing, not that they need additional information.

Of course, they're "experiencing higher than normal call volumes" today, so I was unable to speak with a supervisor.  I've been given a special fax number and told to fax in the details.  I think I'll fax it to both numbers and mail it as well.  Even sending it by fax it will apparently take them 5 (FIVE!) business days to process the application once it's been received...

Meanwhile, the main reason I was calling was because I also have a loan through RBC, and the due date for next month's payment is fast approaching.  NSLSC assured me that RBC is aware I have an application pending and payments would therefore be on hold.  Not believing a word they say, I called RBC to be informed that, no, payment is still due on March 1.  Having been through the process once before a couple of years ago, and having been told that time that payments would be on hold, I inquired as to whether this had changed, only to be told that, no, RBC have never had a policy of putting payments on hold.  Their advice?  Just miss the payment; they won't report it until March 30.  Great.

By the way, I asked NSLSC what their current policy is regarding the instructions they give for filling out RAP forms. I was told that the policy is to tell people whose loans are currently in good standing to fill in Col. 1 but not Cols. 2 and 3, even though all three columns only require a simple declaration, not documentation (people whose loans are not in good standing are required to fill in all three columns and provide documentation). This is clearly insane give that at least some applicants will be asked to provide more information.  Bear in mind it took 12 calendar days to receive their letter, and that's counting from the day after the date on the letter.

Anyway, my suggestion for those filling out RAP forms is to simply provide the information in Col 2, which is regarding your income for the month prior to the application.  It could very well save you a month and a lot of irritating phone calls.

It's just that automated customer service survey: "were you satisfied with the service you received today? Press 1 for yes" etc.

"Literally" on a different planet? 

Anyway, after an hour and a half on the phone today I was able to identify one of the problems: because I made my January payment on the 25th instead of the 31st, they backdated my application to January 1.  They did this without informing me or asking my permission. 

They also lost the information they required me to fax them, although they received the duplicate that I sent by mail, delaying my application another 5 business days.  By the way, on their instruction I had faxed the info to a special number in order to guarantee that it wouldn't get lost.

I didn't want my application backdated of course: backdating it means that I would have been covered by RAP for a month in which I had paid more than I needed to, and would effectively reduce my RAP period to 5 months instead of 6.  Getting that straightened out took about half the time I spent on this call and required speaking to three different people. Now it will take an additional 6 business days to process the application.  I began this process on January 21, and the projected date for finishing it is now March 11. 

If you are disabled, please contact the Canadian Human Rights and file a complaint for discrimination.  Although my complaint has some specific grievances due to personal  circumstances there are numerous general reasons for the disabled to file an official complaint. 

- The time to process applications - days vs months. 
- Lack of direct access to Canada Student Loans who process the RAP-PD
- Shorter service hours than the NSLC who processes regular RAP. 
- Lack of disclosure of application requirements. I don't know about you but the instructions I receive clearly state do not include proof of income.  However, if you are RAP-PD they will not process your application without it.  So the disabled are supposed to be mind readers as well? 
- Money that is not considered income for the able bodied is used as income for the disabled - this may not apply to everyone depending on circumstances.

Heads up, check to see if all of your RAP-PD applications have actually been approved as such and not regular RAP.  As my first application made in November 2009 is not being treated as PD even though I checked off the box for permanently disabled.

BE AWARE,  even if you always qualified for Interest Relief and all your previous RAP-PD applications have been approved for zero affordable payment you may suddenly be asked to make back payments as Canada Student Loans is treating the disabled different than when NSLC processed applications.