Ema

karen_newcastle

My daughter is 16 and unfortunately doesn't qualify for EMA as our household income is above £30k. Almost all her friends qualify for the full £30 per week plus all the bonus payments for acheiving decent grades. We know of at least three of her friends whose parents have lied about their income of are pretending to be single so they don't have to declare 2 incomes.:mad: .

My daughter is very annoyed about all of this as she is having to go out and look for work to top up her income while her friends have regular EMA coming in. I certainly cannot afford to give her £30 per week (although she does get her Child Benefit each month for clothes). WE are not rich by any means but work hard to afford a decent lifestyle.

I've explained to her about benefit fraud and the conequences and I hope this teaches her something important about life and how to play within the rules.

I don't have too much information on the subject and wondered what your views were?

[Deleted User]

This should really go in to the discussion board.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=57

space_rider

When my daughters have applied for EMA, I have always had to send in my tax credit award statement and also my p60. I am assuming that is standard for everyone.

karen_newcastle

But if you dont declare your partner then they wouldn't ask for their P60......so it's probably easy to cheat the system.

A close friend gets EMA for her daughter and didn't tell them about her HUSBAND!????!!!!??

Conor_3

You can't afford to give her an extra £20 a week to top up the CB to make it £30?

My views? You honestly don't want them.

sheilavw

When my daughter was doing A levels we came under the £10 category. She had friends getting the £30 a week who were much better off than us because they got council rent paid and council tax etc because they didnt work.

affordmylife

we have had this discussion. we have 4 teenagers and certainly couldnt afford to give them all £30 a week.

if think if you are only just above the £30,000 its a really tough place to be cos you dont get any help at all.

we cant afford to give ours the child benefit either its part of the family budget.

and yes all there friends have the EMA and most of them have their child benefit and maintanence from their absent parent too so they are totally rolling in money. what makes me laugh is it all goes on clothes, nights out, booze etc. !!!!!! its meant to be for books, pens and other educational stuff isnt it?

karen_newcastle

Conor wrote: »

You can't afford to give her an extra £20 a week to top up the CB to make it £30?

My views? You honestly don't want them.

Not quite sure I understand your point of view here Conor.

No, I couldn't afford to give her another £20 per week. How is that so surprising to you? As other posters have said earning over £30k a year does not make you rich!!!! I probably have less available income than some on lower wages.....

Your post comes across as a bit rude which is surprising since I was not attacking you in anyway.

Lokolo

I wasn't given pocket money since about 15, I got a job. At 16 I got £20 a week EMA which was awesome, but money is my motivation.

At the time my mum was single but now isn't, my brother therefore didn't get EMA but mum still paid him what I got to make it fair.

However when I was 17 I had 2 jobs by this time and getting EMA. Don't regret it at all.

But someone I used to go to school with, his parents were divorced and mum didn't work so he got £30 a week, they didn't declare the dads contribution which was a lot per year, totally unfair.

Theres people that deserve it, theres people that don't. Unfortunately the system is flawed.

bestpud

I can see how seperated parents can easily play this system but I cannot see how married parents can declare say they are single and get away with it.

Tbh, I'd be reporting them if that really is the case! It's benefit fraud, so if you know them well enough to be sure they are telling the truth, why are you letting them get away with it?

It is effectively the same as posting a moan about your neighbour/friend/whatever claiming income support while their partner is earning good money. Most on here would tell you to report them, so why is that not happening for this benefit I wonder?

Oldernotwiser

affordmylife wrote: »

what makes me laugh is it all goes on clothes, nights out, booze etc. !!!!!! its meant to be for books, pens and other educational stuff isnt it?

Although EMA may often be used for essential student items it's really intended as an incentive for young people to remain in education. The fact that it can be docked for non attendance and bonuses added for good attendance is also an incentive for young people to attend regularly and finish their courses. Spending EMA on socialising is really irrelevant.