Have Your Say on a possible replacement for EMA

nickyopenshaw

When my husband was made redundant my daughter was due to go to college and could not get ema. The choice was that she either got a job or claimed unemployment benefit. When he did get a job, my daughter then got ema, because it was based on the previous tax year. If they are going to put something new in, then it needs to be claimed when the young person needs it, and should be based on currrent parental circumstances. Our local council in york gave out free bus passes but only if you could not do the course at the local school, which she did not really want to go to. My daughter was determined and got a job at a major supermarket. They have been brilliant - she works saturday and sunday, and there are lots of students there. They also let her have time off to look at universities when she needed it. I think i would like it replaced with quicker response times, and would prefer vouchers for school/college equipment, perhaps supermarkets or local businesses providing vouchers for food(?) but definitely a free bus pass, as this worried us all more than anything else. (there is a discount via the college, but it still costs £40 per four weeks)
Also the age for leaving school applies to those young people currently in year 8. They must stay on until 18. Those in year 9 must stay on until 17 i believe.

motoko

Instead of giving the money to 16-19 year olds, most of whom also have part-time jobs and/or pocket money from their parents, I think the money should be used to give more to those who actually need it, i.e. adult learners who are not living with their parents, and need to support themselves through further education. Currently, getting the education they missed out on as a teenager is impossible for many people, unless they are lucky enough to have parents or a partner who is willing and able to support them completely.

It would also help a lot if there was more money available to cover fees at level 2 / 3. Currently, you can get fees covered for some level 2 qualifications, but not all, for example GCSEs are excluded, even though many later qualifications build on the knowledge obtained during GCSEs. Also, fees for level 3 qualifications are only covered up to the age of 25, I think this should be extended to include people of any age, or if this is not possible, then loans could be made available (similar to the student loans for higher education) to cover these costs.

karent_2

I have one daughter in sixth form this year. She has had EMA and has to spend around 15 pounds a week on bus fares. She pays for her own books. She also pays for any other expenses such as trips related to her course.

Next year her sister will join her in sixth form. Neither will have EMA, and I will need to find 30 pounds a week for bus fares alone. I agree that EMA needs to go, but as a single parent with 3 kids, working full time, finding 30 pounds extra each week will be tough. I'd like to see free transport for all 16-18 yr olds in full time F.E.

Compulsory books, trips etc should be provided free to those kids in households with very low incomes, and free school meals possibly, for those that would have qualified in lower school.

helbourne

I think that it would be far more beneficial financially for the students to be able to get around (not just limited to school days/times)

happyinflorida

My eldest son, now at University, had nearly finished college by the time he got his EMA approved. It took us ages to get it and was a fight all the way through, goodness knows why!

I believe kids should be encouraged into going to college and to give them up to £30 per week to help is essential.

It should be means tested and anyone on an income over £25,000 should not be entitled - there are cut backs people can make.

My husband's on a low income, he works in the local hospital and his take home is £253 per week. I'm on ESA - benefits. Our mortgage is £600 pm and we do not have cable tv, mobile phone contracts - we have pay as you go and spend approx £10 every 6 months each!

We still struggle due to the high council tax - £161 pm, gas and elec costs - £120pm and the heating is off all day whilst I'm home, I freeze but we cannot afford to heat our home during the day.

We don't eat as well as we used to and we very rarely go out - maybe once every 6 months for a cheapish meal. We have cut down completely and still struggle but we have no debt at all - I won't do that!

Yes kids should get EMA - we cannot afford to give our kids pocket money so please give them something otherwise life will not be worth living as everything is so expensive nowadays.

jennie65

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Parents whose children are in FT education receive child benefit and child tax credits, which should allow them to support their teenagers with their educational costs.

Im sorry you live in cloud cuckoo land if you think child benefit and tax credits can be used toward education, it goes toward food, rent, biils, clothes, etc etc etc. I work full time and the ONLY reason we can afford to get by is because we get tax credits as my rent is so high in the area that i live, and no i cant get cheaper rent their is nothing cheaper, I dont qualify for housing in my area, because I work. Only people on benefits get housed where i live.

My 2 use EMA for bus fares and stationary and trips, and occasionally the odd item for themselves. They have both tried to get jobs but again not easy when they are at college full time.

Mechelle

I think EMA should stay, but be directly linked to attendance. Currently students must attend 85% (or a minimum of 12 hours, depending on the courses studied) to receive EMA for that week. If this was raised to 100% attendance, I believe attainment would also improve - after all, the whole point of EMA is to encourage students to do well in education, right?
What they spend it on is up to them - we don't tell people on the dole they can's smoke or drink, do we?!

morverngirl

My daughter's friend got EMA, her Dad is a millionaire,so I believe, and when she left school he bought her a new car and house. Daughter, 1 of 2 in her class not to get EMA had to work weekends and after school for her spending money while others bought I pods etc with EMA and then school refused to arrange school trips as students could not afford to go.
Give money to schools to use for travel, trips and books, that way no abuse of system due to creative accountancy .

Heinz

My view is that the EMA was introduced purely as a political ruse to keep school leavers off the unemployment list.

Getting rid of it will, similarly, become a political football because, naturally, people don't like benefits being taken away.

levvy

I don't agree with EMA being replaced. I like the suggestions of bus passes etc as yes this is likely to be one of the biggest costs incurred with studying but I think offering financial reward for higher education is storing up problems for the future.

A lot of the pro EMA posts on here seem to be from parents who say they cannot afford to fund their children staying on at school. What a valuable lesson for young people to learn that if you want something in life you should work for it. I guess we've all come to the conclusions we have because of our own circumstances. I'm from a single parent family, both my older brothers and I did paperounds and had weekend jobs while doing college/ A levels and all have a strong work ethic now.

I'm sure not all young people spend the EMA on luxuries and for some it won't even cover costs associated with their course. However, a lot of young people that I work with spend a lot on socialising, phone contracts, clothes, alcohol far beyond what my peers did 10 years ago and seem to have more money to throw around.

All a bit disjointed, sorry. In essence, I didn't think the EMA was a good idea in the first place but I would be in favour of help with travel costs or other genuine needs as a replacement.