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Original poster

Scrapping EMA

342 replies

TrollinaTrollpants · 13/12/2010 12:19

will poor people really miss it?

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 14/12/2010 13:23

I do agree with your last sentence, mamatonomy.

pastyeaterneedsaSilentNight · 14/12/2010 13:50

I agree the minimum wage needs to rise and there should be more apprenticeships.Not sure college is a red herring.Hairdressing, for example, is a 2 year college course. That's a fairly sought after skill.

bubbleOseven · 14/12/2010 14:07

why does EMA have to pay for the teens to have lunches in the college canteen? can't they take their own sandwiches?

pastyeaterneedsaSilentNight · 14/12/2010 14:11

Yes, the EMA can be used for packed lunches too and probably is. £30 for travel, books, lunch etc is hardly excessive.

pollywollyhadadollycalledmolly · 14/12/2010 14:28

It doesn't have to be used to pay for lunches in the canteen.

I think they probably need to take packed lunches, unless they are rolling in it that is lol. You would probs pay about £4 ish for a lunch in a canteen 5 x £4 = £20 which alot of students probably couldn't afford! Even with the EMA

dreamingofsun · 14/12/2010 14:35

agree - children from families that don't qualify for EMA have to take pack lunches and work at weekends. Why don't children from poorer families do the same? Though i do think that bus fares to school should be free for all students till they are 18. its not their fault they live in the countryside away from schools

christmaseve · 14/12/2010 14:45

I'm just remembering going to college in the next town when I was 16. We had a free bus pass for the 20 mile a day round trip and we also got subsidised meal (as we did at school0. This was in the 1970's and I wasn't from a low income family. Everyone got it and they should still get it IMO.

EMA would equate to this cost but is means tested. Seems like we have gone backwards from the 1970's.

sarah293 · 14/12/2010 15:35

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sarah293 · 14/12/2010 16:35

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christmaseve · 14/12/2010 16:45

BTW is everyone aware that David Cameron promised not to scrap EMA.

goingforit · 14/12/2010 16:46

College is not a red herring

I took my son to one last week for an interview and waited in reception - had a look around, etc.

I was amazed at the facilities - catering students providing meals for the restaurant. Hairdressing students working in the salon, and fitness students in the gym being taught about personal training.

Vocational courses but so much better than A Levels for some students.

I don't like some of the attitudes towards those receiving EMA on here. If a youngster qualified for it, they qualified for it, why the vitriol about what they spend it on. College does not come cheap. Most want money for materials upfront, travel is not free for any student as far as I can see. Even in London it's reduced - 33% I think. Child benefit is being frozen - Tax Credit entitlement changed, EMA abolished. It's very hard for the working poor to survive these days and youngsters are our future. You have to invest in our youngsters and EMA did that.

Targeted help which replaces it is only for those on free school meals, which ignores the fact that many children come from working homes which bring in less than eligibility for free school meals. Low paid being squeezed and squeezed

pastyeaterneedsaSilentNight · 14/12/2010 17:03

We have gone backwards since the seventies Christmas eve. My Mum got free school meals and both her parents worked!!!(poor but working).Now you lose it as soon as you start working.Personally I think this is deliberate to cause resentment of those on benefit. They can then slash benefits without too much resistance. Divide and conquer.

expatinscotland · 14/12/2010 17:09

'BTW is everyone aware that David Cameron promised not to scrap EMA.'

Yes, well, is everyone aware that Tory politicians are liars?

It was pretty obvious to me that he was going to reneg on everything once he got power.

sarah293 · 14/12/2010 17:13

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jollyoldstnickschick · 14/12/2010 17:21

We will miss EMA too.

Yes we still get child benefit but thats used for the dcs 'keep' somehow somewhere we have to make this shortfall up.

This is a punishment for being poor.

We should just tattoo the heads of everyone who would be entitled to EMA then perhaps wealthier people could chuck their leftover crusts at them and offer them lifts as they drive past?

Poor people will remain poor unless they have support to reach higher.

Theres no jobs for adults with experience let alone 16 year old kids.

dreamingofsun · 14/12/2010 17:23

all politicians lie - its what they do to get into power. labour and the lib dems have been no better. what was labours mantra about education education education and i read in the paper that things have actually got worse over the last 10 years or so

santasakura · 15/12/2010 01:59

this government's entire purpose has been to show how bad it can get without labour

goingroundthebend4 · 15/12/2010 05:31

mama moving is not a option can not afford to.Would also mean yanking ds2q out of school in gcse years , ds3 out of his pecail school.

One advantage to where we live is that if ds2 gets the exams he wants he be able to live at home and travel to uni daily even if is a trek

goingroundthebend4 · 15/12/2010 05:37

and opps i lost some keys while typing Blush

And yes my other dc are entitled to free school dinners as I am ds3 full time carer.

But ds1 does not get any of these hardship grants they do not exist oh and he takes a packed lunch to .Infact as his Ema was delayed the other week he walked to and fro collage for 2 days .7 miles each wayShock .Because he knew that I was broke especially after some shit stole the oil from our tank.

Yet you want him to drop out becuase you begrudge him the busfare

goingroundthebend4 · 15/12/2010 05:38

oh and yes ds1 does work in the resturant at collage it is a lot of hands on work, in the class room to very little book work it is all pratical skills.

lovelyopaque · 15/12/2010 06:44

I think for people who wish to do A levels, a school sixth form may become a good option. Schools will not charge for books, paper etc, and lunches will often be cheaper, or packed lunches more the norm.
As for vocational courses, and university to an extent, I really think big business has to step up a bit. Education is seen by many as solely providing workers these days, so business should perhaps do more sponsoring.
The powers that be need to decide if 16-18 year olds are adults or children. If they are children (no vote, no access to welfare payments etc), then they should not be paying adult fares.

goingforit · 15/12/2010 07:09

My son has been targeted to receive 10 GCSE's at Grade B and above.

However he cannot stay on at school because of timetabling plans putting all his chosen subjects at the same time. Other schools will not even consider him without an A Grade in Science or Maths when he will probably get a B. Effectively forced out of school with 10 B Grades or at least 10 A - C's is not what I had in mind.

College becomes the only option. We would have qualified for EMA, now we don't because we are not on free school meals. Travel costs are a nightmare and although obviously he will be taking packed lunches to college, there are costs involved in college courses.

He will be looking for a part time job although with no experience I doubt he'll be first in the queue, and there aren't many jobs available.

Surprised and shocked that government and schools can treat promising youngsters in this way.

lovelyopaque · 15/12/2010 07:11

That does sound very difficult goingforit. Are there any similar subjects he could do that would ease the timetabling problems?

goingforit · 15/12/2010 07:17

Not really lovelyopague because his chosen A Level subjects were for a career in mind.

It goes against the grain to take up the only two subjects he could do - Film and Media - just to stay at school, when either subject are useless for chosen career.

I can appreciate timetabling problems to an extent, but it's this EMA thing that I'm finding strange. Compulsory education for 16 plus age group hasn't come into effect yet, but EMA is being scrapped for new applicants from January. It's all very unfair.

goingroundthebend4 · 15/12/2010 07:55

lovelyopaqu

sadly staying on in 6th form does not mean getting boosk provided ds2 has just started his Gcse and we got a list of books he has to have it came to £180 Shock and yes I had to pay and no its not subdised at all regardless of income

Am fully aware by time he gets to 6th form the cost will be more.Yes he does get free school lunch so I am fortnate .Mind its choice slice of pizza or jacket spud and a drink due to cost of lunch.

And he will faer he same problem as goingfor it, his school does not offer the A level options he will need in the future.Oh and even though we qualify for free school lunches ds1 will not qualify for any help next year when Ema goes so please can we stop well if they woulfd qualify for this or that.That collages will be helping them with hardship funds becuase they wont

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