Scenario 1: Joe, Orthoptist, 23
graduated 2 years ago,
Band 5

Assuming Joe has accessed a full student loan (tuition and maintenance) and based on the current NHS pay scale. With 2 year’s experience, Joe would be earning approximately £24,214 a year so he would not be making any standard student loan repayments. 

The only way Joe would be making a repayment through his salary, is if he worked overtime or got a bonus or another work-based payment that pushed his salary over the threshold for a month. However, if at the end of the tax year Joe’s salary did not equate to £25,725 then he could apply to SLC for a refund of the repayment he made in that month he was over the threshold.