Have Your Say on a possible replacement for EMA

Roy_Pemberton

Samuraiman89 wrote: »

I must have gone to college on another planet! I remember being utterly embarrassed claiming EMA, a sentiment shared by most students in my year, as evidenced by the sea of red faces in the 'EMA register queue' at my college. I also remember having abuse hurled at us simply because, it was assumed we were poor and second class citizens.

And I personally do not recall meeting anyone who found £30 incentive enough to attend every class at college and complete their coursework/ exams to a respectable standard (another criteria for EMA) AND tolerate the stigma of 'being poor'.

Then you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself, and should not be trying to deprive those with genuine need, genuine ability and genuine committment from obtaining the help that they genuinely need! For those who are genuinely in need of support, the stigma is not as important as the lost opportunity in not developing your full potential.

Chris4

Food and book vouchers?

I know many people that spent EMA on useless things unrelated to education, e.g. £30 a week for driving lessons.

£30 a week was way too much - what exactly does the government think students are meant to spend it on? My I.T. course didn't require any materials to be bought.

I received ten pounds a week and I spent that all on lunches.

My younger sister is going to be in college soon; I hope there will be a sensible system in place for her to receive some financial assistance.

armley

The_One_Who wrote: »

One caveat to the free (or at least cheap) transport is that it should only be available during the school hours and school terms.

Free travel is only available during term time and school hours now anyway.

armley

I think EMA helps young people who otherwise could not afford to stay on in higher education. Those who don't stay on ,get jobseekers allowance for doing nothing all day, so why shouldn't young people who are trying to better themselves from poorer backgrounds have an incentive to do this, The Government wants people to educate themselves further, but are just penalising young people who are trying to do this every way they turn.

floss1966

It seems to me that all the people saying that EMA should never have started are probably parents of children who never received it...

Samuraiman89

Roy_Pemberton wrote: »

Then you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself, and should not be trying to deprive those with genuine need, genuine ability and genuine committment from obtaining the help that they genuinely need! For those who are genuinely in need of support, the stigma is not as important as the lost opportunity in not developing your full potential.

Oh Roy, if you had bothered to read all my previous posts, you would realise how foolish your statement is.

SueP19

freuchiehunt wrote: »

The majority of my daughter's friends received EMAs. They have been able to save up their EMAs for luxuries like concerts and holidays. We're parents who are deemed to earn enough to fund our children for these luxuries but the fact is that we simply can't. It is a very unfair system.

Hear hear..............for those that assume I am anti-benefit, I am not. I simply am speaking from experience.
Among my daughters friends they fall into 2 groups, those on benefits and those with working parents .................that directly matches those that get EMA and those that don't. We made sacrifices to be able to give our daughter £20 a week.............Can you imagine how she felt when her friends got £150 bonus that first Christmas for "Good behaviour" I could not match that!!!

My problem with the EMA is that it DISCRIMINATES against certain sectors of society and lets face it, if it was against those that receive benefits there would be outrage.

A fair system for ALL is required

As for jobs, my DD has been looking but the jobs available are for min hours of about 16 a week, the Saturday jobs of yester year are few and far between

bluetimone97

Tripleeagle wrote: »

If they are absent, they simply need a note from their parents. You are allowed to be sick as long as it's reasonably justified.

In theory you would think so, however my eldest son broke his fingers playing football on the Friday aftenoon for the college last year, I had to collect him and transport him to the hospital where he had 2 operations to insert pins in to straighten them out while they healed. He did not get his EMA the following week as he was not there for his last lesson on the Friday. When questioned we were told there was nothing could be done. He also did not get it anyweek that he had a hospital followup appointment.

rgb_3

Hi all, well a little background in my family we have a five children I worked I very hard I even had two jobs at one time, toward the end of 2007 I had a stroke yep we now call it the rowing acident, now that changed every thing, one thing led toanother and told to go on to disability benefits not for me I now have worked for the supermarket with the orange plastic bags not as many hours not as much money but with a mortgage of £300 per month and no loans, bank charges paid back (thanks Martin) we just about get by, but things can be difficult with compulsary 6th form trips, equipment eldest son now in 2nd year at uni, his younger sister in a cracking 6th form she is straight As, she leaves home before 7 each morning and I have told them all work hard now get the results they need and get the jobs they deserve, without the ema we will find very tight to assist with travel, equipment and other costs, child 3 starts 6th form september.

Now my thought of a EMA replacement would be similar to the uni student loan but you still have to earn it by turning up and working hard at the 6th form, you could spend it if you dont need it turn it down or save it, when you finaly start work pay it back or if you go to uni you could attach it to the dredfull uni charges.

ajoysh

My son spends his EMA on bus fare which is £4 a day, college materials and lunch. I'm very proud to say that he's in his 3rd year to becoming a fully qualified Joiner and won't be in some dead end job that he hates. Ema is a real help to low income families and it should stay as it is.