England’s education secretary Bridget Phillipson defended a freeze to the student‑loan repayment threshold that will raise average monthly repayments by about £8, she told BBC Breakfast. The measure keeps the Plan 2 repayment threshold from rising with inflation after an expected bump in April, and ministers framed it as a necessary fiscal step amid broader education spending pressures. Opposition politicians, campaigners and consumer advocate Martin Lewis have escalated criticism, arguing the change will harm younger graduates and those with gig or mixed incomes. Universities and borrowers are weighing the short‑term cash impact against long‑term debates over affordability and repayment design.