I was a student from 2002-April 2007.   I did not graduate, and jobs have been few and far between and at best, very low paying.  HRSDC started taking my income tax refunds in 2009, they haven't taken any of my benefits and credits luckily. 

In 2011, I took 1 course to at least get a 2 year diploma, I paid for this myself, it was an online course.  Not long after I got the diploma, TCR started harassing me with incessant phone calls for the provincial portion, I managed to send them a cease and desist fax and that has stopped.  TCR use loan shark tactics and all but threaten to come and break your legs!

Overall, HRSDC doesn't bother me too much, but they always take my tax returns.  In 2012, I filed papers claiming hardship to get my income tax return back, they refused stating I'm not in hardship even though most months I could barely afford my rent, food and borrowed and begged to keep my internet service going.  I'd like to add that I don't have a car, I can't afford one, and I don't have any other assets, credit cards, savings account or anything else that could be liquidated to help myself along.  They told me if circumstances changed they would reconsider.  A week later, my internet was going to be cut off, so I got on the phone with them and they did give me my tax refund back.

I'm currently working part time, minimum wage for Ontario, but it's barely enough to survive on, and I've exhausted my job searching efforts in this town.  There's nothing for me but a future of poverty and scratching to make a living, I'm almost 50 yrs old.  In the last 10 years, my total income was less than $85000 with a good portion of it being social assistance (total for those 10 years!), if you do the math, it works out to about $715/mth average, but nope, I'm not in hardship!

Regarding my debt, well it's over $36K, with monthly interest over $135 making it grow at an alarming rate.  Am I ever going to be in a position to pay it?  Hmmm not unless I win the big one or suddenly have a long lost relative die and leave me a fortune!  

So where do I go from here, what can I do?  Do I just leave it until I die and never have anything, keep fighting the government over hardship claims?  Amazingly, I don't owe anything else other than the student loans, over the years, I just did without a lot.  Is claiming bankruptcy the answer when there is no other debt?  Where do I start?  What can I do? 

I don't think the loans would be in statute barred, in 2009 I made a few payments.  HRSDC bugs me every once in a while for an income statement and they've been snatching my tax returns since the 2008 tax year.

I know John charges fees, I never have money left over to afford to consult with him.

How do I get the ball rolling?  Who do I talk to?  

Friday I have an appointment with a credit counsellor who will go over my situation with them to decide how to proceed.  I also phoned HRSDC this morning to of course get my income tax return back again, they're mailing me a financial questionnaire where I'll have to prove Extreme Hardship again, as it stands with their quick and very basic phone assessment, I come out about $20 ahead, but they'd probably expect that toward a paymen!  Not a lot of money, and certainly, never enough to do anything with!  

HRSDC's stance is that no, I'm not benefiting financially from my education, but I might eventually...right, the longer I go without viable work experience in my field, the less valuable I am as a suitable candidate to work for them.  As it stands, I have no experience in my field, so it's not likely I'll find work doing what I was educated for. It's a catch-22, and the older I get (49), the less likely I will be hired anyway.  Just the mental and emotional aspects of being in a constant state of financial distress and worry is making me a basket case!!  And they have told me that even claiming bankruptcy won't clear up the student loan, that it will still be there after all is said and done.  If this is true, then it's not worth filing because I don't owe any other money other than the student loan.