EMA to go?

oompahloompah

Jordii wrote: »

So does this mean we will continue to get payments up until Summer 2011?

It will probably be different in Scotland since education is a devolved matter, and already EMA is different here (income limits etc). No news yet on whether it will be scrapped here or not, the announcement should come sometime in December.

padd_bear

I never got EMA but i think it is good as it teaches young people about money and it helps those who cant afford to go to college or feel forced to get a job and leave education (god am i really THAT old)...

ALOT of people do save up their EMA, it also helps parents in the long run.

Its down to parenting that children abuse their EMA on drink and fags etc to be frank.

percymoneysaver

gizmo111 wrote: »

My daughter receives it, her fares are £63 per month and she receives £20 per week, so around £17 per month left over although she does work part time as well. She takes packed lunches most days from home and has had to buy some books. If she didn't get it then I would have to pay the fares bit of her expenses. She is currently taking driving lessons but if and when she gets a car won't take it to college as the parking alone would cost her around £18 per day in town. Looks like my younger daughter will get nothing. so I'll be paying those fares! My agreement with them both was that Iwould support them whilst in education up to age 18 so they can use any earnt money to save up for uni/spend on driving etc.
Currently my eldest lives at home rent free and I pay her phone. The EMA has been a great help in keeping her in college.

See, this is why I have a problem with EMA. How exactly are families on incomes low enough to qualify managing to afford driving lessons and then buy, insure and run cars for teenagers? Because we couldn't afford to insure ours on their own cars, and we're a two parent, two job family not far off the EMA threshold. Isn't it something well over a grand to insure a newly qualified teenager? Then factor in repairs almost certain to be needed on a cheap old car, plus petrol. On family incomes of less than 20k, even with EMA payments and part time jobs, I just can't see how that works.

In my college, we get kids who are allowed to claim free resits for exams because they are on EMA, but they manage to afford their driving test. As I've said before, I've nothing against the payments to the truly deserving but it should be targetted to either the right students or the sensible costs. Exams and resits, yes. Driving tests?

(And yes, I am aware that not everyone lives in the city and it may be that some kids can't get to college without cars. I accept that I am generalising as to what might be a sensible expense for going to school...)

MrsManda

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Are you sure it was EMA? It was only introduced 6 years ago and it was assessed on household income in the same was as HE student funding is.

It wasn't only introduced 6 years ago. I got EMA when I was in 6th form (2000-2003), I think we may have been the first year to get it. At that time it was based on the income of the parent you lived with but not their partner. So if you lived with your mum and her partner but they weren't married you were only assessed on the mum's income. I don't know when they changed the rules.

Oldernotwiser

MrsManda wrote: »

It wasn't only introduced 6 years ago. I got EMA when I was in 6th form (2000-2003), I think we may have been the first year to get it. At that time it was based on the income of the parent you lived with but not their partner. So if you lived with your mum and her partner but they weren't married you were only assessed on the mum's income. I don't know when they changed the rules.

It was introduced nationwide in 2004 but some areas were piloting it earlier. I think that you must have been in one of the pilot areas.

ThinkingOfLinking

Simon11 wrote: »

I hope it does go as I found it very unfair when I was in Sixth Form.

The thought that students actually spend this money on books is rather laughable! Extra bonus at xmas, wonder what that gets spent on?

I didn't get EMA as parents income was over the limit, but that doesn't mean they give me £30 a week. I instead had to work 4 hours as a paperound boy to earn this money, while they had an easy life. So not fair

I agree with you. I knew people who spent all their EMA on CDs and McDonalds. I worked full weekends to get through my A Levels.

gizmo111

percymoneysaver wrote: »

See, this is why I have a problem with EMA. How exactly are families on incomes low enough to qualify managing to afford driving lessons and then buy, insure and run cars for teenagers? Because we couldn't afford to insure ours on their own cars, and we're a two parent, two job family not far off the EMA threshold. Isn't it something well over a grand to insure a newly qualified teenager? Then factor in repairs almost certain to be needed on a cheap old car, plus petrol. On family incomes of less than 20k, even with EMA payments and part time jobs, I just can't see how that works.

In my college, we get kids who are allowed to claim free resits for exams because they are on EMA, but they manage to afford their driving test. As I've said before, I've nothing against the payments to the truly deserving but it should be targetted to either the right students or the sensible costs. Exams and resits, yes. Driving tests?

(And yes, I am aware that not everyone lives in the city and it may be that some kids can't get to college without cars. I accept that I am generalising as to what might be a sensible expense for going to school...)

How did you make the assumption that I am paying for driving lessons and buying, insuring and maintaining her car when she gets one? She works part-time long hours at weekends to pay for it herself.

gravitytolls

Flickering_Ember wrote: »

I agree with you. I knew people who spent all their EMA on CDs and McDonalds. I worked full weekends to get through my A Levels.

As did I, don't resent EMA though!

charlea

my son has had two jobs since july one was part time casual catering in the football ground but when this died he applied for Mcdonalds they interviewed 8 kids and my son got offered the job straight away partime working 11-6 on a saturday and 4pm 10pm two night in the week earning roughly 80-90 quid a week
he is only 16 but i have pushed it into him that if he wants stuff then he got to get off his !!! and pay for it i dont mind helping out poutting credit on his phone buying him some stuff for his bike /or paying for books but if he want the latest designer trainer or jean then all im giving him is a tenner or so towards them and he can put the rest

Wicked_witch wrote: »

ONW, may be partly because part time jobs are so hard to get in some areas for teenagers. My son couldn't wait to get to 16 so he could finally get a job! Ten months later and he hasn't even had an interview. Most places have told him flat out that they don't employ under 18s, I assume for insurance etc purposes?

abigailflo

My son is at college and is desperate to find part time work. I have sent his CV off to loads of places and he has been round the local area CV dropping as well - nothing. He doesn't qualify for EMA as we are just above the limit so we fund him going to college which is a struggle. We give him the £30.00 a week as most of his friends are on EMA. I feel the system is so unfair at the moment, you are really penalised in this country for working and don't seem to get anything back at all. I work in a solicitors office and a lady came in for some advice. She didn't qualify for Legal Help as her disposable income was through tax credits and working 16 hours a week with two children as a single parent was £1,700.00 a month! That is shocking to earn more through benefits than the average person working full time - she actually had more disposable money each month than the solicitor who saw her!! The country needs a good shake up!