Should EMA Stay?

[Melsia]

I will be getting EMA next year. I honestly don't know how I would afford to stay at school if they stopped it.

I will have to pay over £300 pounds for a bus just so I can get to school. How is a 16 year old expected to pay that without any help?

I can understand why people may want it stopped if they've only seen it being used for the wrong reasons but I still think it really needs to stay for those people who need it.

[GommeInc]

Get rid of it and start again, and only give it to poor familes. The biggest flaw so far with it is, it is given to children with their household income being somewhere around £30,000 a. For a single child that's alot, and they don't deserve the EMA. Perhaps lower it to £20,000 for all instances across the board and single parents allow some sort of benefits for it too, though there are probably government agencies behind that anyway. I hate people who don't use it for its true purpose and then rant at people who don't receive it calling them jealous. They deserve a slap...

Or just get rid of it and have the EMA company buy the bus tickets and stuff for the children, but that just seems like charity so won't work - though you really only need it for bus/travelling expenses. Stationary is what most schools have anyway.

Also, a family of 5 for example that make just enough not to get the EMA deserve it, because some familes cannot be supported but a larger than average for a small family income. It's quite a flawed system at the moment.

[Wahey]

I could sure use EMA when i start 5th year this year But since my mums married again i aint aloud it =\ and the thing is she hardly ever gives me money
But spose it should stay cause sure are more needy people about than me...

[Barmi]

At the end of the day, the only ones that are going to moan about it are the people that don't get the money. I get £30 a week, my mum is a single parent who has to look after 3 children on a **** income, yet she still puts all of it into life savings. On top of that, I get my bus paid for me when I go to college as does my brother, considering it's like £5.50 for a return every day. If there's anything I desperately need mum will pay for it but for now we keep the EMA for the purposes it was given to us. The ones that get the money 'deserve' it. They're going to school/college for the time being, doing something and not just sitting on their lazy arses doing **** all, otherwise they wouldn't get it. Where I live and I'm sure it applys everywhere else, you have to go to school every day, skive no classes & if you do you have to have a very very good excuse otherwise you don't get it. At least they aren't getting paid £58 a week from Jobseekers for **** all which one of my friends does and she just buys alcohol with it.

As for the people that don't get it at all, I don't see why they should. Their family are making £30,800+ a year (this is if they aren't getting EMA) which is £10,000 more than the pupils getting £30. Say you were to stay on school for the two extra years required (I get confused with England), the maximum you will get from EMA is £3,000 (I think?) including bonuses. That's for 2 years and yet the people not getting EMA are still better off, if they really need it, they can get a job?!!? I know some people on £30 EMA and have a job so it's not like everyones wasting it on drink and things for their own enjoyment but they're putting in effort to get what they want.

I have put two comments in bold, and I am comfortable in saying you're wrong on both counts. To the second comment, many deserve it, but not all. If you cared to read my post you will understand there are people cheating the system. How can you say they deserve it?

@GommeInc: If the £30 was a flat figure, I would agree with you. But it's £30/£20/£10... scaled accordingly. As I said previously, my main contention is the means testing is flawed.

[buttons]

I have put two comments in bold, and I am comfortable in saying you're wrong on both counts. To the second comment, many deserve it, but not all. If you cared to read my post you will understand there are people cheating the system. How can you say they deserve it?

@GommeInc: If the £30 was a flat figure, I would agree with you. But it's £30/£20/£10... scaled accordingly. As I said previously, my main contention is the means testing is flawed.

That's not very fair considering I actually read your post and the other ones in here too, your "if you cared to read my post" is out of order because I did, I don't just jump into something if I don't so maybe you could be a bit more respectful? I wanted to just post what I felt and didn't feel the need to argue over it because I'm always going to think what I think about it. What I meant was, the people that get EMA because they are struggling for education purposes do deserve it, why wouldn't they? I've never heard of people cheating to get it, I don't look into this kind of stuff because I am just happy to get it and give my view and it's true, you don't see anyone receiving EMA complaining about it otherwise they wouldn't have asked for it in the first place.

Also, gomme - for most our courses we have to pay for equipment depending on what it is which is pretty shady. I get my bus paid for me and I don't think of it as charity, I just wouldn't be able to get up otherwise so it's good. I wouldn't say I fit into 'poor' but we struggle enough as it is, I could probably live without it but it does help.

[Clowgon]

Or just get rid of it and have the EMA company buy the bus tickets and stuff for the children, but that just seems like charity so won't work - though you really only need it for bus/travelling expenses. Stationary is what most schools have anyway.

That's absolutely preposterous!

I Guarantee that, if that was to happen loads of ppl wouldn't go. Most people who get their EMA waste it, so if that was to happen they would forget about going to college all together.

We need the young of this Country going to College so the Country can Prosper.

[Jordan,]

Either let every child have it or no one have it

[Barmi]

That's not very fair considering I actually read your post and the other ones in here too, your "if you cared to read my post" is out of order because I did, I don't just jump into something if I don't so maybe you could be a bit more respectful? I wanted to just post what I felt and didn't feel the need to argue over it because I'm always going to think what I think about it. What I meant was, the people that get EMA because they are struggling for education purposes do deserve it, why wouldn't they? I've never heard of people cheating to get it, I don't look into this kind of stuff because I am just happy to get it and give my view and it's true, you don't see anyone receiving EMA complaining about it otherwise they wouldn't have asked for it in the first place.

Apologies if I sounded abrupt. It just seemed that what I posted wasn't acknowledged. Instead, it seems you take a "I haven't seen it therefore it doesn't happen approach". Maybe you've only known genuine people, but there are people out there cheating the system and receiving more than they are entitled to – preventing those like yourself, who should be receiving this money, to having full amounts. It still stands that not everyone who receives it deserves it. Many, yes... but not all.

When I was at college, I received EMA, and I feel no difficulty in complaining about the system. The system is flawed. The system allows people to cheat it. The system has an inaccurate means test, and this means test is no different to that for higher education grants – which I also would complain about. Claiming what you are entitled to does not prevent you from giving criticism. I would not be aware of the flaws in the system if I did not claim myself. Apologies again for my abruptness, but I do get very passionate over means tests.

@Jordan,: Don't be ridiculous; we don't live in a communist society. We live in a society which recognises some are more needing than others. That which needs changing is the test determining who is more needing than another.

[Clowgon]

That's even more absurd.

So are you telling me, if someone parent/s earned over £60,000 a Year their kid/kids deserve to get it?

If your parent's are earning under £30,000 a year then you deserve to get, i don't see why any rich kids deserve to get £10,£20 or £30 a week when they don't really need it. That money could go in the Public services so like Buses and that are cheaper.

Every term the fare on the bus goes up. 85p to go into Town. It's ridicolous, i can remember paying 32p a few years ago.

EDIT - THIS IS TOWARDS JORDAN,

[Caution]

Either let every child have it or no one have it

So someone with a parent earning 100k+ should get £30 a week? No, it should have more factors to decide whether someone should get it.