EMA 2010/11 Guide Discussion

rb10

Mel2500 wrote: »

I understand that the EMA has to be paid into a bank account in the student's name. Could anyone point me in the direction of some advice on this i.e. which banks offer accounts to 16 year olds and whether some are better than others? The best student accounts page all seem to be directed towards students starting university with a minimum age of 18. Many thanks.

Last time I looked, the only decent accounts for 16-17 year olds were from Lloyds TSB and Halifax.

Both offer a debit card, and pay a reasonable rate of interest.

Oldernotwiser

jennie65 wrote: »

my son has been getting EMA for 2years, but in order to help out he has agreed to stay on in education for a further 2 years, he is 18 now will be 19 in may 2011 so does that mean he will not get EMA for his 2nd year then.

He has agreed to stay on because of getting EMA, and as a lone parent with only one wage coming in he gets the full £30. In order for his sister to do her 2 years of A levels I need my finanacial sutuation not to change for the next 2 years or we may lose our home. Any loss in tax credits, child benefits resulting from a child leaving education would result in a large drop in income and an inability to pay the rather high rent I have to cover each month.

Being a single working parent, with 2 model teens means i do not have enough points for help with housing in my area and so have to rent privately, which I can afford to pay while I have the extra money coming from tax credits.

What a sacrifice for a young person to have to make!

loucla93

My daughter has just started A levels at college, she's waiting for her EMA, does anyone know when the first payment will be made? They say they go on your attendance but she says they're not very good at taking a register!

cex112

My income has dropped sharply this year, but last year was just over qualifying for EMA for my daughter. Seems ridiculous to base it on how things were. And from what I can tell if you are in other countries (NI, Scotland Wales), not England, then you could reassess based on change of income.

Something wrong there!

Does anyone know if there is some kind of appeal procedure?

AngelaD

I am in the same situation - I was made redundant at the end of 2009 so our joint income is over the limit for 2009/10. However, I am now in a lower paid job so would qualify if based on current income. Also my husband is self-employed so have no proof of his income until after the accounts year end. So unfair. Our son is on a 1 year course (he's 18) so by the time he can get it, it will be too late!

Cinders2001

....what about if you are Home Schooled?
Can you opt to carry on being educated past 16 and also claim this money?

We have to pay for all the educational needs of our children ourselves and that include the exams.... can we claim this?

BonjiiEllahh10

Hello, I have been in college for 4 weeks now and we have just been told that we are not entitled to EMA as we are in college for 8 hours a week but on our placements 18 hours a week. We aren't entitled to oysters either. Our parents cannot claim child benefit as we arent doing the 12 hours that we have to do in college but i dont think its fair that we arent allowed EMA because we are only doing 8 hours in college, its essential that we do our placements 18 hours a week so in total we are doing 26 hours a week learning. Am I just being silly or am I right?

cactusdust

Do you get paid at your placement, Ella?

cactusdust

cd36uk wrote: »

My daughter started six form college this september. She has been granted full EMA but they have not paid it for her first week, and for the second week they have said they are not giving it to her because her college changed her timetable without notifiying her and due to that she missed half of one lesson. The same thing has happened to a few of her friends.
The EMA seems a good idea on paper, but in practice it rarely works. Seems like any excuse to get out of paying it, they take it.
If they mess around with it like that, I wouldn't be surprised if some teens will jack it in for the dole, where at least their money would be guarenteed!

She can appeal the no-pay decision and it's perfectly possible the payment could be back dated. Tell her to go and see whoever administers EMA at her college.

Where does your justification come from to claim EMA doesn't work? Their are plenty of moral/political arguments to question whether it does the job its supposed to.. but in your daughters case it hasn't worked because she had her timetable changed. Not the fault of EMA.

The EMA system is paid a week in arrears, meaning cut-off times for adjustment are pretty tight.. you'll understand that this is the reason the EMA and MIS (register) systems have not updated each other.

And, to the people who are missing out on EMA this year: I had a friend in a similar situation.. I'm afraid there is little you can do. Thankfully, the Student Services Department at my college was particularly efficient and offered to pay a years bus pass instead. Not all will obviously do this, but there we go.

cactusdust

cd36uk wrote: »

Because of all her friends, none of them have been given it, so EMA at this particular college does not work, i stand by my opinion.

According to the email I have received today, EMA works two weeks in arrears

Fair enough.. there have obviously been some issues there then. Regardless, have you tried to resolve the issue? Student Services and the EMA Office (theoretically assuming they exist where your daughter attends) should be able to sort this for you. I tend to find EMA issues don't sort themselves out.. it may require a bit of digging.

But EMA is 1 week in arrears where I'm educated, perhaps this varies.