Sunshine Breaks Through the Clouds

I got home from work and there was a letter waiting for me from the Student Loan Center. My first thought was "What do they want?" I'm a little jaded and don't exactly hold much hope in a letter from them. But this letter said that my application for interest relief had been approved. Interestingly, it was dated the same day they took out the most recent payment. Finally some good news. Hopefully, I'll even get the money back since it is retroactive to July. Time to breathe a sigh of relief.

That fact really should bring a smile to my face. After all it means I won. And should mean that I have money coming back to me. But after 6 months of fighting I just don't feel quite so good about it. The nightmare comes to an end... but it's not like there will be much left over. I have to pay rent and get caught up on bills. They killed my credit rating (not that they needed much help) and have already cost me at least $100 for late payments/NSF charges. Not to mention the high stress levels.

Oh and it's not like I get much of a breather... I start the fight all over again in a month. My interest relief is only good until December 31st and I have to have the application in and a decision made by then. If I am not mistaken after that time period is up the 30 months will be over and I will no longer qualify for interest relief. I have no idea what I will do then. You can apply for extended periods of interest relief (up to 54 months) but they reduce your loan payments first and then you have to qualify (based on the reduced amount). I already know I won't qualify. I still don't understand how they can justify taking 25% of your gross income. I can understand 25% of your take-home pay... but not the gross income. After all that is before any taxes are taken out. I guess they expect you to live on 65% of your income. If I wasn't living just above the poverty line that mgiht be one thing... but I have a low-income job. I struggle to make ends meet. I also have a disability that doesn't exactly leave me with the energy to take on another job. I might not have a choice though. There are very few promotions available at work... fewer all the time. And my wages are certainly not going to go up enough to cover it.

I suppose there is another option. I could try and find a sugar daddy. *lol* But knowing what the wages are like in Peterborough I suspect I would be moving to a different city for that as well. It's like the poverty capital. Low wages seem to be the theme. Mind you Peterborough also has a high percentage of mental health issues. I'm sure there is a correlation there.

So I guess I am back to doing it the old fashioned way. And for now I can just enjoy the fact that I am on interest relief and don't have to make payments. Hopefully, in the near future I'lll even get my payments back.