Prime Minister Tony Abbott has quashed suggestions the Government will collect higher education loan debts from dead people’s estates.

Reports this morning suggested the Government was in favour of the move.

This morning Treasurer Joe Hockey said recovering HECS debts should be no different to any other loan.

“It’s only against the estate of the individual. It’s not going to go across families and so on,” he said.

“Look, that’s the same as any other loan, any other mortgage we have in our lives.”

But shortly afterwards Mr Abbott said there would be no change.

“I want to make it absolutely crystal clear this Government is not going to change the existing rules,” he said.

“And the existing rule in respect of university debts, fee help debts, HECS debts, is that they cease, they cease, on decease, as it were.”