Scamming EMA!

Titch89

poet123 wrote: »

I believe EMA should be calaculated on parental income regardless of divorce or separation. Just because you divorce your spouse should not mean you are divorced from the maintenance of your kids.

Agreed. On another forum I used to post on, there was someone who said they had a friend whose parents had divorced. Their father was worth something like 122m and was earning a fair amount, but put down that they were living with their mum to get the full £30.

Isn't there blanket rules for EMA? My tutor keeps coming down like a ton of bricks on the 2 16 years olds on my 16 hour per week course mentioning their EMA. One has said she doesn't get it but the other that does says she only has to attend 12 hours a week, so it doesn't matter when she skips some classess.

That's rubbish. If the course is 16 hours, she has to attend them all, unless she has a good reason not to. (illness, subject related trip, etc)

The thing that really annoys me when it comes to EMA, is that through no fault of their own, my parents were on minimum wage, but worked their backsides off. I got the full amount and was taunted for being 'poor'.:rolleyes: There were also loads of people whinging because I got it (had to turn up to all lessons to get it) but they didn't. TBH, I'd rather that my parents earned loads of money so that I didn't have to rely on EMA.

Masomnia

poet123 wrote: »

I believe EMA should be calaculated on parental income regardless of divorce or separation. Just because you divorce your spouse should not mean you are divorced from the maintenance of your kids.

It should not no, but often it does mean that. It's unfair that people should lose out due to absent parents.

Titch89 wrote: »

Agreed. On another forum I used to post on, there was someone who said they had a friend whose parents had divorced. Their father was worth something like 122m and was earning a fair amount, but put down that they were living with their mum to get the full £30.

Surely that's a problem with greedy people cheating the system, rather than the system itself?

No_Future

Neato wrote: »

My college is supposed to get £3000 (I think) per year to spend on my education. This just doesnt happen. We have to pay for school (writing) books. We share textbook even to the extreme of one between 3/4 at times. Were charged for things like spare pens...so what are they actually buying me?? A chair and a table?? I know that doesnt add up to £3000 a year.

LOL - so do you not think the training and salaries of teachers costs anything??

Titch89

Neato wrote: »

We have to pay for school (writing) books.

And? It was like this at both schools (6th form) I had to attend for lessons.

celyn90

Sassy_Student wrote: »

But did you know that It's been proven that if you work more than 10 hours a week then you will probally drop a grade... worth thinking about.

Working didn't have any effect on my grades at all. You don't have to do very many hours to get equivalent of the EMA. I also worked all the way through University, sometimes more than one job so it is possible to do it without it having any effect on your grades. I considered it valuble even then to have an employment record as it proved I had a work ethic. EMA didn't exist when I was at school and my parents were in no position to help me financially; so I didn't have a choice.

savvy wrote: »

I agree with you there!! As a lecturer it is VERY difficult to motivate/keep on task/manage the students who have quite openly admitted only being there for the EMA!! They don't care that they disrupt the learning of those who do/need to be there for their career choice!

I agree too; it can make it really hard if you have a bunch of students that are there for the wrong reasons.

savvy

celyn90 wrote: »

I agree too; it can make it really hard if you have a bunch of students that are there for the wrong reasons.

And the worse thing is that since I wrote that it hasn't got any better! If anything worse, and I now have students nagging me constantly when they haven't received their flipping EMA, most of the time it's due to them being late 3 times thoughout the week, other times it's out of my control, but it's never their fault :rolleyes:

This year it has caused friction between students who have it and students who don't, as those that don't receive it get annoyed that those who do are also able to claim travel assistance AND learner support funds, so can go on all the trips and get their kit, for free.

John38_2

savvy wrote: »

And the worse thing is that since I wrote that it hasn't got any better! If anything worse, and I now have students nagging me constantly when they haven't received their flipping EMA, most of the time it's due to them being late 3 times thoughout the week, other times it's out of my control, but it's never their fault :rolleyes:

This year it has caused friction between students who have it and students who don't, as those that don't receive it get annoyed that those who do are also able to claim travel assistance AND learner support funds, so can go on all the trips and get their kit, for free.

My College has a policy that Learner Support Funds will only be paid to people who ARE NOT receiving EMA, unless the person receiving EMA is in EXCEPTIONAL circumstances which mean they can not possibly use their EMA to pay for the trip etc.

Titch89

savvy wrote: »

I now have students nagging me constantly when they haven't received their flipping EMA, most of the time it's due to them being late 3 times thoughout the week, other times it's out of my control, but it's never their fault :rolleyes:

I remember loads of people doing this both years in 6th form. Despite the fact we'd always get a yellow form stating why we weren't being paid.

savvy

John38 wrote: »

My College has a policy that Learner Support Funds will only be paid to people who ARE NOT receiving EMA, unless the person receiving EMA is in EXCEPTIONAL circumstances which mean they can not possibly use their EMA to pay for the trip etc.

Hmm interesting concept, not sure my college would go for that though :rolleyes:

JPizzle

Although I think EMA is good for people who need it, I think it can be quite unfair.

I will be getting it when I go back to 6th form in September (the days of maths will be gone). I know of someone who said that because his parents are self-employed, they can "fiddle" the system to allow him to get the money (I don't know how/if they can do it)

So it is obviously unfair if this is actually possible, and what is also unfair is that there are very few people who will get £30 off their parents each week.
This makes me a bit uncertain whether or not it is actually a good system.

Of course I'm not going back to 6th just for the money, I had always planned on doing it, so I'm not one of these slackers who just go for the sake of it. I aim high.

But a final question on EMA. If EMA means you go over the £100 (or whatever it is)per week income limit for tax, will I need to pay tax on it?