Number: 0845-6000-662

Read the instructions.

In what respect? The Northern Ireland number is considered entirely different to the other numbers. The number I quote is the only one that you can call - as far as I know - if you have a query regarding Northern Ireland. You cannot get through to the Northern Ireland number by calling any of the others.

So this is a different request to the other Student Loans companies.

So I am not sure what other instruction it is that I am transgressing.

I did try to send the Supreme Member a personal message to clear this up but apparently if you are a forum newbie like I am then you are not allowed to do so.

Regards
Rich

Well, an address might be a good start. If it isn't operated by the SLC in Scotland, then who operates it in NI? Presumably they will have an address. Also, do they have a geographic fax number? That is a good indicator of their normal geographic number.

Just posting the NGN won't help us - you need to provide us with other information too. We aren't going to do all the detective work for you  ::).

This is what you find when you go to the "Contact" part of their website (address: http://www.studentfinanceni.co.uk/portal/page?_pageid=54,1267813&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL)

"If you want to talk to someone about Student Support please call the

Student Finance ni Customer Support Office
Phone 0845 600 0662

Minicom 0845 604 4434
(You must have access to a Minicom device in order to use this service).

Opening hours are:
Monday to Friday, 8.00 am to 8.00 pm
Saturday and Sunday, 9.00 am to 5.30 pm"

No sign of a postal address or of a geographical fax number, unfortunately.

To be honest, I think that the numbers for the UK SLC should be valid for the SLC NI. I hardly think that they are going to have two different call centres dealing with the same kind of enquiries.

Have you tried the SLC numbers in the database? If so, what was their response?

It's true, dear owner of a Supreme Member. Every phone number will eventually ask whether I am in Northern Ireland and tell me to ring the 0845 number. I bit the bullet this afternoon and my query was resolved.

The operator had a pronounced Northern Irish accent, as did the recorded voice when I was asked to choose my option. So I conclude that they do indeed have a separate call centre in Northern Ireland.

Thanks for your interest and for keeping this site generally so helpful to me over the past few months now that O2 have taken away my free 08* calls.

So you tried the alternative numbers but were told to ring the 0845 number?

It is possible that they have a NI call centre, and that NI callers are dealt with there instead of at their Glasgow call centre. It might have been useful to ask when you rang if they could provide you with an alternative number, but never mind.

In the majority of cases, I was simply told by a recorded message to dial 2 for Northern Ireland, whereupon the 0845 number was given.