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Have Your Say on a possible replacement for EMA

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  • I have a really great solution to the EMA situation.

    It is probably a bit unfashionable now bit it worked for me. How about students get a part time job and actually EARN some money to help them with their costs.

    I know it requires a bit of effort but maybe these students could work in a shop, push trolleys, paper round etc. I played the piano for 5 hours each Saturday to earn £25. (about 15 years ago).

    How fair is it that people can now get paid just for turning up at school.
  • skipsmum
    skipsmum Posts: 707 Forumite
    edited 21 February 2011 at 1:08AM
    pjt12345 wrote: »
    I have a really great solution to the EMA situation.

    It is probably a bit unfashionable now bit it worked for me. How about students get a part time job and actually EARN some money to help them with their costs.

    I know it requires a bit of effort but maybe these students could work in a shop, push trolleys, paper round etc. I played the piano for 5 hours each Saturday to earn £25. (about 15 years ago).

    How fair is it that people can now get paid just for turning up at school.

    Because there arent any jobs.
    In our town alone there are 9 people going for every single job. Some of those are qualified people who have been made redundant.
    DS works for the experience only, there is no paid work here for 16 year olds. He works 9-6 every non college day, including weekends. He will get a paid job there when he finishes training. When I was his age we got a small wage on YTS for that much work, enough to cover our travel.
    I worked part time thru college, I know its the best way.
    But if there are no jobs its just not possible.
    Also, when I was at school several miles away I got subsidised travel. Now we are expected to find £30 a week for the same journey.
    Please think this through before making comments. For most of us its not about EMA but how to afford to give our children the education they deserve and is rightfully theirs.
    With Sparkles! :happylove And Shiny Things!
  • Froggitt
    Froggitt Posts: 5,904 Forumite
    skipsmum wrote: »
    Because there arent any jobs.
    Id like to give a 16 year old a few hours of work at the weekend for them to earn a bit of spare cash, and for me to have stuff done that doesnt get done......mowing the lawn, bit of painting, tidying the garage etc.

    I suspect most kids though would turn their noses up at such menial work.
    illegitimi non carborundum
  • skipsmum wrote: »
    For most of us its not about EMA but how to afford to give our children the education they deserve and is rightfully theirs.

    Parents get child benefit and child tax credit to fund their children whilst they're in education, although some parents seem to forget this.
  • I think the problem as far as I've seen it is that parents think "well, I'm entitled to EMA under the current system, why shouldn't I claim it" even though they know their kids don't really need it for anything than free pocket money... (ie they're divorced but other parent still contributes in a big way, or they're self employed and earning loads but just not through PAYE so can hide it)

    If only the people who actually needed £30 a week to go to school claimed it - and there are loads of those - then maybe the bill for it wouldn't have been so astronomical and they may not have got rid of it. But that would involve the government closing the loopholes, and it's just so much easier to cancel it for everyone because of the greedy sods who ruined it for everyone.... :(

    And for those who think that part time jobs are the answer, I agree with Skipsmum - there really aren't a lot of them out there for 16-18 year olds, the redundant older ones with experience who can work full time are getting the jobs that do come up. And while it's laudable of Froggitt to offer odd jobs, there aren't a lot of other people doing the same.
  • Froggitt wrote: »
    Id like to give a 16 year old a few hours of work at the weekend for them to earn a bit of spare cash, and for me to have stuff done that doesnt get done......mowing the lawn, bit of painting, tidying the garage etc.

    I suspect most kids though would turn their noses up at such menial work.

    My son does 2 hours a day at a cleaning job after school without complaint. I think that would be classed as menial work. 'Most kids' are prepared to work if they can find a job.
    Perhaps you could put a card up in your local shop/supermarket and see what response you get. You might be suprised.
  • melancholly
    melancholly Posts: 7,457 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    poet123 wrote: »
    Thirdly, many who receive it still have non resident parents who fully contibute and yet only their actual household income is taken account of.
    that's been a sticky issue with student loan applications for years. i certainly knew students getting bursaries who had a non resident parent taking them ski-ing twice a year on top of giving them money. i guess there isn't an easy solution to how you assess fully and efficiently and i'd sooner a few too many were given allowances than a few too few.... i do recognise that i am a bleeding heart liberal on that front though and i understand why other people see it differently ;)
    :happyhear
  • melancholly
    melancholly Posts: 7,457 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    armley wrote: »
    Free travel is only available during term time and school hours now anyway.
    not in London - free all the time on buses and trams........ limiting it to school travel hours would make sense.
    :happyhear
  • A Job thats what!!! What is to stop this lazy generation going out and getting a Saturday job like the rest of us used to? They seem to think that everything is just going to drop in their laps. Try working for pocket money etc!!!!:mad:
  • The_One_Who
    The_One_Who Posts: 2,418 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    What stops them is a lack of jobs, or a lack of access to them. You may not have noticed that the world has changed a lot and many very qualified people are struggling for jobs, never mind the sixteen year olds. I'm not saying that EMA as government-funded pocket money is a good idea, just that it's not quite as simple as just going out and getting a job.
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