Last week my loan was sold from one Direct Loan servicer to another. I just looked and it’s up now at the new servicer, but it doesn’t show a due date this month. Usually my payment was debited out on the 7th of each month, but that won’t happen now. My questions are, first, do I take their word for it and not make a payment this month? And, second, what happens if a payment is either not made or not counted towards IBR? Does my 25 year period start over? I’ve been paying for a year now, and I don’t want to have to start over. Do the 300 payments have to be consecutive? Thank you.

The payments don’t have to be consecutive and the clock doesn’t start over.  That said, be your own advocate and do all you can to ensure you get credit for as many payments as you are entitled to.  These sorts of operational breakdowns happen all too often and sometimes the servicer’s response doesn’t leave you in as good a position as you would have been without those errors.  Communicate with them in writing and consider lodging a complaint with the student loan ombudsman: http://www.ombudsman.ed.gov/