Money for 16yr olds in school & college

hotbod

why cant my son recieve EMA without opening a bank/building account ?

mcfisco

My basic gross salary takes me over the £30810 EMA ceiling but after I take off my pension contributions, I'm just under it
I also get a company car with personal fuel & private medical cover - does these count for EMA purposes?
I suspect they do - as they ask about them on the form but it's not entirely clear.

thanks,

Savvy_Sue

hotbod wrote:

why cant my son recieve EMA without opening a bank/building account ?

Because the money is paid to YOUR SON, not to you.

My eldest was a year too early for EMA, but I decided once he was in 6th form that making him responsible for his own cash was a good plan anyway. So he had a bank account with a cashcard (NatWest, FWIW), and I paid into that monthly enough to cover his bus fares and lunches etc. Then it was up to him to withdraw what he needed for those things.

Fran

mcfisco wrote:

My basic gross salary takes me over the £30810 EMA ceiling but after I take off my pension contributions, I'm just under it
I also get a company car with personal fuel & private medical cover - does these count for EMA purposes?
I suspect they do - as they ask about them on the form but it's not entirely clear.

thanks,

Hi, I've merged your thread with the existing thread about EMA. Have you looked at the relevant website (see beginning of this thread)? There should be contact details there if no-one here knows.

hotbod

Savvy_Sue wrote:

Because the money is paid to YOUR SON, not to you.

My eldest was a year too early for EMA, but I decided once he was in 6th form that making him responsible for his own cash was a good plan anyway. So he had a bank account with a cashcard (NatWest, FWIW), and I paid into that monthly enough to cover his bus fares and lunches etc. Then it was up to him to withdraw what he needed for those things.

I KNOW its paid to my son but he doesnt want to open an account i cant see why he cant recieve some kind of payment at the post office which is close to college & home ie: giro ,cash warrant ect it is means tested but you cant use card account for benefits at post office because its not classed as a benefit.
wheres freedom of choice gone ?

lleck

Does the post office not have a hole in the wall from which he can withdraw his cash. Most banks offer cash cards to 16 year olds which can be used at most places.

upton66

If it's any help I can confirm that you should take P60 gross earnings (which will already be gross salary less company deducted pension schemes and AVC's), to that figure you should add total P11D taxable value to arrive at your total taxable earnings.

If both husband & wife work, add these two total taxable earnings together.

To this total add any gross income you both receive from savings accounts & dividends etc. (Excluding any tax free income, ISA's etc)

From that total of joint taxable earnings plus savings/investments deduct both husband's and wife's gross contributions to personal pension schemes (FSAVc's , SIPP's etc)

This final total is what your child's EMA will be based on.

I have managed to keep our joint earnings down ever since the scheme started by paying maximum pension contributions, so that we are always within the earnings limit to maximise the EMA.

For the 2007/08 EMA claim, when we declare 2006/07 earnings, there is now no real limit to pension contributions so I shall boost them as far as necessary so that income for EMA purposes is even lower so children can claim the maximum £30/week

Apply as soon as possible.

quidsinquentin

Hi.

I've just checked something with the EMA people that may be quite an issue.

On their website (and in their publicity) it states very clearly that you are eligible for EMA if you meet all the various criteria AND if your 16th birthday is between 1st September 2005 and 31st August 2006.

My sons birthday is 19 November (1989) but he is not eligible. When I asked them why, their response was that he was born in 1989. Thats it. They don't appear to know why this is or seem willing to explain any further.

This happened last year when I originally applied for EMA, prior to his birthday. Same response then, but I was also told that the dates had been wrongly printed in the publicity.

When I just spoke to the call centre they told me that he WAS eligible, but that I should have applied last year and he would only be entitled to two weeks back payment (from the point of registering with them).

Has anyone else had this issue? Because I smell somethig fishy, unless someone can clearly explain this 1989 issue to me!

I will send this to MSE Martin, and maybe he can find out why this is/

I've now been told that he is eligible for EMA in September this year when he's 17.

lleck

you usually get ema when you enter year 12, that is the year after GCSEs. EMA is not payable in general when the children are still in full time compulsory education. My daughter was born in June 1989 and has been getting EMA this year but she is a school year older than your son. So he should be eligible for EMA from September this year, whilst he will still be 16.

quidsinquentin

lleck wrote:

you usually get ema when you enter year 12, that is the year after GCSEs. EMA is not payable in general when the children are still in full time compulsory education. My daughter was born in June 1989 and has been getting EMA this year but she is a school year older than your son. So he should be eligible for EMA from September this year, whilst he will still be 16.

Thanks.

But (forgive my pigheadedness) that still does not explain the publicity dates of 1st Sept 2005 - 31 Aug 2006.

It strikes me that you should not advertise something as X if it's actually Y. It's a seperate and unknown (to the consumer) condition that benefits the seller/provider. I would then suggest that it is misleading at best and more likely dishonest.