EMA

Andelusion · 21 Apr 2008 at 20:11

My mum and dad are quite old and found it hard to get new jobs after being made redundant, so EMA was a big help to me (even though I only got £10 a week for the first year), in the second year my dad landed another engineering job which he really didn't want to take (due to having arthiritus) but it meant that I no longer got EMA.

I also worked two jobs throughout college so the EMA did help. I think if it was handed out in book tokens and what not then it would eventually be a waste of money since some students simply wouldn't be bothered to buy the books.

ironman · 21 Apr 2008 at 20:48

Tefal said:
not really...

Why not? It's purely based in income, the more successful a parent is, the less benefits their children get. It should be equal.

[TR]SweetSpotOz · 21 Apr 2008 at 20:50

[TR]SweetSpotOz · 21 Apr 2008 at 20:52

[TR]SweetSpotOz · 21 Apr 2008 at 20:53

Tefal · 21 Apr 2008 at 20:54

gurdas said:
Why not? It's purely based in income, the more successful a parent is, the less benefits their children get. It should be equal.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17862322

They picking on the poor picking on the rich they just cant win can they :/

And not really about success, my parents are "successful" nice house (well apart from when my dad tries diy >.<) no mortgage care, enough money to live comfortably, 2 sons in uni, studying medicine and chemistry.
Dads retired early, they got to travel a lot, and do the things they wanted.

I still got it

As you say it's based on income not savings

weringo · 21 Apr 2008 at 20:56

Nitefly said:
If your parents own a private company, they apparently don't have to declare it. Was very irritating watching the richer pupils still claiming the allowance.

Yup that's what I did, as my dad is a sole trader.

The only problem is I don't go to college much, so I never attend enough lessons to even get EMA, I think the last time I got it was in January or something.

da_mic_1530 · 21 Apr 2008 at 20:58

just wait until uni, means tested loans etc

lot of people I know will half half the debt I do , they get free money that they don't need to pay back

stumpy187 · 21 Apr 2008 at 21:10

I only put down my mums income and not her "fella" cause to me he was a bell and never gave me nothing.

Ben M · 21 Apr 2008 at 21:13

markyp23 said:
I'm not entitled to such a loan. I could get £890 a year I think.

I was looking at it today, you are entitled to a loan to cover your course fees. And a maintenance loan of just over £3k, which you can get without being means tested (you get 75% of the total without being means tested, and the other 25% subject to being means tested)

So I have no idea how you can say you aren't able to get a student loan.

markyp23 said:
Most obvious "check me, I'm private schooled" post of the month...

Not really, I don't advertise the fact that I'm privately educated because people treat me differently as a result. The reason that I mentioned the cost of the school is because my point was moot without me saying that.

Tefal · 21 Apr 2008 at 21:23

Ben M said:
Not really, I don't advertise the fact that I'm privately educated

True, annoying as he often is, he does not brag about private education, unlike that guy with the BMW in his sig (not fox

) who constantly went on about it.

Still nout wrong with being privately educated as long as you don't wind up a pompous ass.

[TR]SweetSpotOz · 21 Apr 2008 at 21:31

Ben M · 21 Apr 2008 at 21:39

markyp23 said:
LOL! On here?

Well i havn't mentioned my education on here previously, the first time I mention it, I get a reaction.

pitchfork · 21 Apr 2008 at 21:52

Tefal said:
generraly though does mean your parents will be able to afford any school equipment you need.

Yeah but generally speaking the parents can anyway.
It's relative isn't it. People on higher incomes buy bigger houses, nicer cars which means they have less expendable income for luxurys, expenses.
People on low incomes rent council houses or rent in general because it's cheaper.

£6 on lunch a day though, sorry but thats ridiculous. It's not like you are forced to eat from the canteen.
At college I used to get the bus or drive to town, or walk sometimes if I had a longer break and buy food from greggs, cafes, tescos, wherever. Maybe spend a 2-3 quid. The canteen wasn't even that expensive. You could get a hot meal for about 2 quid.
No way did i spend even near 6 quid on food a day at college. That was more than an hours pay.

Energize · 21 Apr 2008 at 22:36

markyp23 said:
It shares very little similarity with any of the above cards.

I can explain each one in detail but surely you can see for yourself?

They all contain your personal info on a database, there's no difference. Just carrying one card with all this info on electronically would be much better.

[TR]SweetSpotOz · 21 Apr 2008 at 22:47

Matt7613 · 21 Apr 2008 at 22:48

I'm going into sixth form in September as well, and I'm eligible for EMA however because I have a job I've decided not to apply for it. However I disagree that only people with an income under 30k a year are allowed to claim, either everyone gets some money for continuing into Sixth form, or nobody gets it. I personally believe that EMA shouldn't exist because people, who claim it, have no incentive to get a part time job, which is wrong.

-Matt.

Senture · 21 Apr 2008 at 22:48

rjkoneill said:
one guy i went to school with just brought £30 worth of pot a week

Everyone at my college did :rolleyes:

Energize · 21 Apr 2008 at 22:57

markyp23 said:
Driving license - government database.
NHS Card - government database.
Credit card - private database, can track your movements when it is used.
Library card - council database (not centralised so more like private).

A benefit card such as the one you propose would be both a centralised database which can be tracked and used frequently. Human rights activists would go mental if they could be tracked by the government. Not least to mention some people get absolutely no benefits at all.

The government can demand information about you from any database when they need to, triangulate your mobile phone etc so they pretty much have the same level of access in any case. I can't see why anyone would be bothered about it, is someone going to be reading my whereabouts? Not likely. Do I have reason to care if they are? No.

ironman · 21 Apr 2008 at 23:13

Tefal said:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17862322

They picking on the poor picking on the rich they just cant win can they :/

And not really about success, my parents are "successful" nice house (well apart from when my dad tries diy >.<) no mortgage care, enough money to live comfortably, 2 sons in uni, studying medicine and chemistry.
Dads retired early, they got to travel a lot, and do the things they wanted.

I still got it

As you say it's based on income not savings

Ok, very successful people then...

markyp23 said:
Yeah and is it not true your parents can support you? It does annoy me, but mine can more than adequately support me so I'm not exactly moaning. Seems you are though.

The whole system is flawed. Someone on a higher income may have less disposable cash to support their children than someone on a low income. It's a matter of principle, in the same way that it annoys me that I can only get minimum student loan support based on an equally discriminatory measure.