Should EMA Stay?

[GommeInc]

EMA should stay. How else would I pay for my driving lessons?

I think nearly everyone who gets EMA, and doesn't ride the bus to school etc, doesn't spend it on educational purposes. If you don't have to get the bus, or buy dinner, what else are you gonna spend it on? £30 of paper and pens a week?

I think the main idea is to encourage people to stay in education until they're 18, not to pay for buses and stuff, because if it was for that, they would just give it to people who ride the bus to school. When everyone has to stay on until they are 18 in a couple of years time, they'll probably scrap EMA.

Or just don't give it to people who don't have a use for it? If you don't need it for the bus or anything like that, then they don't need it. The excuse of "it's to keep people in school" is an odd one. Loads of people who don't have EMA still go to school or college, do they? Not really, some just don't go. That's one flaw with the system. The other is, if you don't want to go to school or college unless you're paid to, then that's your fault. You'll be kicking yourself for not going to college/school and they probably won't enjoy it anymore or any less than normal folk.

[Zak]

get rid of it

i know plenty of people who have good part time jobs earn 400-500 quid a month and still claim ema

I also know people who lied about their house hold income and they also claim

[xPrecedent]

Law. My exams start 2 weeks on Monday!

But I thought you had it all sorted out in your head what you wanted to do?! You're thinking of doing geography now?

Law?! I'm doing it at A Level and it's hard, nevermind furthering it in Uni..

[Alkaz]

Yeah, its helpful maybe put it into voucher form to stop the partyers?

That wouldnt work as people would need it for different reasons, buying books, stationary, bus fare, lunch etc.

I know that I dont normally need it but I give my dad some money for taking me sometimes, and its for buying supplies at school because schools arent given money for 6th formers supplies. I used my EMA to pay for my art final piece which so far has cost me about £60, without that I wouldnt have been able to do it.

It definately should say, £10>£30 a week for those who are entitled to it is nothing to the government when you think that money is to help people go to university to get high paid jobs, well most of the time so they will get there money back from things like that.

+ Interact, things like that the government will always find out about and they will be done for fraud no doubt and made to pay it back.

[JackBuddy]

Law. My exams start 2 weeks on Monday!

But I thought you had it all sorted out in your head what you wanted to do?! You're thinking of doing geography now?

Environmental protection & management. :8 (lol)

My geography teacher marked us so harsly in mocks and practice essays in the run up to our January exams which basically made me write off geographical courses completely.

Btw, best of luck!!!

[Bun]

Environmental protection & management. :8 (lol)

My geography teacher marked us so harsly in mocks and practice essays in the run up to our January exams which basically made me write off geographical courses completely.

Btw, best of luck!!!

TREEHUGGER x.

[GoldenMerc]

no, or they should be given 'bus tokens' or something as all the people who i know who get EMA spend it on booze.