Scamming EMA!

Blairweech

The wasters I went to college with were only there for EMA, and they were *really* disruptive. I see the benefits, and I'm glad people are benefitting, but definantly report the people who are falsely claiming.

Savvy_Sue

BusinessStudent wrote:

They reckon there earnings are about under £30,000 - So i could still get £10 a week plus bonuses- which I would be delighted to get! - yet despite my dad having his own accountant, she wont get round to adding up his earnings from last year!! - so he has no proof of his income.

Have you offered to help with this? Or to do something else for your mum to give her time to do this? Admittedly your parents might not want you knowing all their financial business, but if I was struggling to find time to sort out something like this I'd be glad of the help! And surely your dad's got tax deadlines to meet?

Actually, all this talk of £30 a week 'pocket money', I suspect we'll be too 'well off' for DS2 to get EMA next year, BUT if he did get it at the highest rate, he wouldn't get any bus fares or dinner money out of me! If he was 'only' getting the lowest rate then that would not even cover his bus fares. Maybe these young people are getting their EMA plus loads more dosh from their parents, in which case their parents have more money than sense, IMO.

ka7e

My son and daughter are at a College where attendance and performance are rigorously enforced for those that claim EMA. If you miss one registration for one session you lose your entitlement for the whole week! No time off for illness either and some staff complain that students are turning up when they should be home in bed - one girl had to be sent home several times when she was suffering from glandular fever.
I get a letter home if one of them misses a session, which highlighted the fact that a lecturer didn't recognise my daughter in class and marked her absent for 3 weeks so she lost her EMA! She appealed and luckily got it back-dated. If they get behind with their work deadlines, they get verbal warnings that I'm also told about by letter.
I suppose it depends on how the system is administered, if there is no room for it to be abused it's fairer to those that need the extra money and work hard.

byb3

The 'wasters' in my old sixth form used to sit round playing cards or guitar all day.

My brother is currently in 6th form, and all of his mates are on EMA £30/week.

He has mentioned that the only reason they turn up is for the EMA, they do not know how to work and are all heading for U's in their exams. They are being taught engineering topics such as work done, power and forces. My brother got the highest GCSE grade in the class, a D, and he says he hasn't got a clue what they're doing and the teacher does everyones work for them.

The sad thing is, he originally wanted to do an Apprenticeship in plumbing. He did one day a week with Newcastle council for two years. When he finished year 11, he was told he didn't get a C in maths so they couldn't offer him one. Since then he has resat and got his C, but now the school don't want anything to do with him. All of the councils apprenticeships contracts are being offloaded to private firms and are disappearing fast. Such a sad state affairs, because he actually wanted to work.

mistyarthur

byb3 wrote:

The 'wasters' in my old sixth form used to sit round playing cards or guitar all day.

What!!! cards is a game of skill!!!

Savvy_Sue

mistyarthur wrote:

What!!! cards is a game of skill!!!

I believe DH honed his bridge playing skills in the 6th form too, and he's no waster! It's been a source of eternal disappointment to him that I didn't do the same!

Helix

byb3 wrote:

The 'wasters' in my old sixth form used to sit round playing cards or guitar all day.

Sounds just like my 6th form. Most of the ones that get EMA sit in the common room all day.

del_boy_

i agree it is very bad they should earn a honest living

hostie

What is EMA and are postgraduate part time students entitled to it?

minty007

EMA is educational maintanence allowance for students up to 18 (i think) students get up to £30 p/week to study depending on household income.