EMA Discussion Area

deepee_2

Upto what income do you get this?

zabbyh

Hey guys. My bro is starting uni next year and is 17 at the moment till July. Can i get ema if i do a course at college that is a few hours a week in the evening?

Savvy_Sue

Hi Deepee and Zabby, on the very first post on page 1, there is a link to an article. You should find answers to your questions if you read that. Note that the money goes direct to the young person, they are expected to have an account it can be paid into.

But the short answers are

Deepee, you get nothing if your household income is over £30,000, and because my sons are either too young or too old to benefit from this I haven't read the article or the links it points to so can't tell you whether that's gross gross, net after PAYE and NI but gross of everything else, or net after PAYE and NI and a few other things.

Zabby, your brother's situation is irrelevant to your potential claim for EMA. If he's finishing his A levels now, then he's in the last year group before EMA was introduced. If you're in the right age group (16-18, post GCSE) then read the article!

zabbyh

oh yeh he will be 18 by then, so he won't be able to do it

[insert_user_name_here]

truscott_uk wrote:

Mazio, that is correct. If it sounds unfair, it is. The whole thing is.

So true that this thing is unfair when i tried for it it was even more unfair. when i was at college (2001-2003) the EMA scheme was running but only in certain areas. I applyed for it then but was told my parents earned too much (even though my parents gave me very little financial help because they could not afford to and i ended up working more or less full time ontop of my 4 a levels!). Now the amount that parents must earn for students to be eligable has gone up, so more are able to get it, lucky them!

csingleton

Hello. I am 17 and left school last year. I want to start college in September after my year out of education. When I first start in September I will be 17, but on the 24th of September I will be 18. Will I still get EMA and how long will I get it? Will I get it for the first few weeks and then stop getting it once I'm 18. Please help, I'm really confused. :doh:

cougar_3

[insert_user_name_here] wrote:

So true that this thing is unfair when i tried for it it was even more unfair. when i was at college (2001-2003) the EMA scheme was running but only in certain areas. I applyed for it then but was told my parents earned too much (even though my parents gave me very little financial help because they could not afford to and i ended up working more or less full time ontop of my 4 a levels!). Now the amount that parents must earn for students to be eligable has gone up, so more are able to get it, lucky them!

That's my point precisely. One size doesn't fit all so they shouldn't be encouraging people to stay if school isn't right for them.If they want to give out money then it should go to everyone (by their own logic). £30 is more than 99.9% of people will get from their parents in a week (except Christmas and their birthdays!)

TomW_3

I am divorced. Do I have to be the parent that receives child benefit to be able to claim on behalf of my son?

Savvy_Sue

TomW wrote:

I am divorced. Do I have to be the parent that receives child benefit to be able to claim on behalf of my son?

I don't know for sure, but I don't think you can claim at all: I think the child is the claimant. Certainly the money goes into their bank account - they are expected to open one if they don't already have one.

Also I would expect that the questions about income relate to the household in which the child is resident. If your son is not resident with you then I think your income and your CB status would be irrelevant. If he is resident with you then I would simply say why aren't you getting the CB?

If there's shared residency and his mother is getting the CB then I would say claim from the household with the lowest residual income. Note that I do not know what you are 'allowed' to deduct from income for this purpose, you will need to read Martin's article and the links carefully, and possibly make phone calls, to check this out.

dotty_the_spotty_doggy

Mazio wrote:

I have tried to get this for my eldest son but cannot at the moment because my proof of earnings include a redundancy package for 2003-2004 and the EMA form requires proof of earnings from the previous tax year (P60 or Child Credit) which would include this and takes me over the threshold. I now work part time (through choice) and will get a substantially lower wage but cannot claim this year because of last years earning (so I have been told by phone from EMA help desk) is this correct?

I am in a similar position. After reading all the EMA stuff, I wrongly thought that my daughter could claim for this Sept, her first year at college. I earn under the £20,000 odd mark, so she should be able to claim £30. However, I separated from my husband in April & therefore have found out (by ringing the EMA help line) that as its taken from the previous tax year,(which would inc my ex's earning & would taken us over the max income allowed), she can't claim. How unfair is this, surely it should be from your household earnings at the time your child starts the course. What's so annoying is all the advertising about this never mentions this fact.