Broke student

killah

Hi

I am a student and have a part time job at the moment and finding it really hard to pay the bills and stuff and was turned down for EMA because I live in the wrong area apparently, so I was wondering if you know of any other grands or anything I am also registered as dyslexic.


Please Reply


Thanks Guys

And this place looks good.

lizziebabe

Hi killah. Are you a full time student at UNI? If you are, then student support can hear your case and they have a fund (ALF) that if you fit the criteria they can give you some money which you don't have to repay. They may also have a job shop whereyou can go and get help finding a job for the summer. Have you made a list of all your outgoings to see where you can cut down. If you are 16-17 and at school or college you can get EMA's. It doesn't matter where you live. Go to citizens advice or your college, to find out. They should give you a form to fill in. All the best.

Broke_Student

I thought MSE is playing games with my head when I saw the thread title!!!
:rotfl: ROFL :rotfl:

First of all, welcome to MSE!!! Glad to see another broke student

If you are applying for EMA I would assume you are attending college rather than university. Lizziebabe is right that you should be able to recieve EMA irrespective of where you live. I am not sure but could it be possible you applied to the wrong LEA (if application works like student loans)?

If you are at college then can you be abit more clear about what your 'bills' are? You can recieve different support if you live alone and pay your own bills.

killah

Hi again

Thanks for the welcome and yes I am currently in college and have been there since i left school at 16 and I am now 19 and I found out today also I am too old for EMA now and never got it, is there a way I can claim back or get any back pay as I did apply at 16 but was turned away as I live in the wrong area and have tried ever since.

And since it the summer holidays now I already have a part time job but looking for another one too so hopefully I can get some cash quick and with that does that mean I can get job seekers.


Thanks

Broke_Student

killah wrote: »

I am now 19

Unfortunately you can only claim EMA up to the age of 19.

killah wrote: »

Is there a way I can claim back or get any back pay as I did apply at 16 but was turned away as I live in the wrong area and have tried ever since.

I cannot understand why you would be turned down for EMA because of living in the wrong area. It is a national scheme and is means tested on parental income. Unless you live on one of those strange offshore British colony islands with different regulations? If you live in mainland UK then I would call the EMA people and question why exactly you were turned down (if they still have it on record).

I highly doubt you would be able to claim back whole years worth of EMA payments for a number of reasons, such as:
- You need to prove your attendance for each week to get paid.
- You did not even apply for EMA at age 17 and 18.
- You need to show your parental income for the periods in question. This could be a hassle for everyone...

killah wrote: »

Hi again
And since it the summer holidays now I already have a part time job but looking for another one too so hopefully I can get some cash quick and with that does that mean I can get job seekers.

No, you cannot get job seekers:
- You already have a job.
- You might have 2 jobs before your JSA application even proceeds.
- There is a system in place for school leavers. They ask you to apply early but give backdated claims at a later date. This allows them to see if you were 'on summer holiday' or if you have really entered the working population.

In my opinion you should go to the college welfare office and ask them what support you can get. You mention you pay bills - one of my friends got kicked out of home last year and the college helped him pay his own bills at the place he was forced to rent. I imagine you could also recieve support for being dyslexic but am not sure of what is offered in respect to that.

killah

Thanks for the help just seem as if i cant get anything at all but I will look into the dyslexia allowance as I am registered as dyslexic.



Thanks

Gemmzie

It is a national scheme now - it wasn't three years ago. This is probably why they've mentioned the wrong area. And it's not back paid anyway.

You can however, apply for ALG (Adult Learning Grant) which is the over 19 equivalent of EMA

Oldernotwiser

Absolutely right. 3 years ago EMAs were new and only introduced in pilot areas.

As far as ALG goes, what level course are you on and what qualifications do you already have? This will affect your eligibility for an ALG.

docij

You could look here

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/EducationAndTraining/HigherEducation/DG_10034898

Yes, definitely make use of your college's student welfare officer - or someone with a similar sounding title. They should be up to date on what is available too.

Garry2

I know that in Scotland if you're a registered dyslexic they'll give you £4000 to spend on a laptop.

My head almost exploded upon hearing this because I'm a computer engineering student, who had to get £500 together for his own laptop which does the job just fine. £4000, and all that is needed is the MS word spell checker.

Hopefully you'll end up with something similar, the person I know spent 2k on the laptop and kept the rest.

docij

It's a common misconception that people with dyslexia only have problems with spelling. In fact dyslexia covers a whole range of issues and people vary in the type and level of dyslexia. Some people need coloured screen filters or spectacles, some find speech recognition software useful. Others simply need extra time for reading and writing tasks.

This is a useful website about the assistive technology needs of people with dyslexia:

http://www.dyslexic.com/claire.asp