The way EMA is payed out should be changed

[United-Clowgon]

I'm going to have to say your naive by saying that families who arn't eligible can cope, I won't be able to claim even the smallest amount of EMA, and it really isn't fair. For years I've had hobbies which required money to be put in by my parents, now i've gotten a bit older I'm starting to pay for it myself and pay my parents back, but when it gets to education i'm not stopping these hobbies and yet again my parents are going to have to help which makes me feel like i'm living off my parents again which isn't fair on them as they like to spend their money on what they like now aswell as I have begun paying for things myself. Yes i'll get a decent job then but it still annoys me that people are wasting their EMA on things like alcohol and not using it as it's meant to be. Whole system should be thought out again tbh.

Sorry you feel than way. I guess both of your parents are working? Good salaries between them? I don't know how to say this but they try to make the least amount of students lose out on this... in a way?

Imagine if ALL family's could claim, no matter how much ex amount of money they earned. Hundreds of millions/perhaps Billions each year if this was the case, it would cost to fund the scheme.

I'm sure if everyone wanted their son/daughters to be able to claim for EMA they would allow it but they will always find a way to cover the costs of allowing it - and that will be higher taxes... which i doubt anyone would want it to go any higher.

[Immenseman]

i don't think it's right people stay on just for their ema. it's encouraging them not to go into the work place when half the time, that's what is right for them. sure, there are some kids who should stay on and go into work and ema keeps them there but i'd say it was more people who chose to stay on for ema or just waste their ema. i'd like to see it scrapped and those who need the cash can apply, kinda like a student loan but it't not a loan and so complicated, so kinda not like a student loan at all ol:

[Alkaz]

I get £30 a week, the majority of it is normally spent on school/education but it also allows me to have some kind of social life that my dad wouldnt otherwise be able to afford. Now when I read iAdams post I feel that I do really deserve it, if his parents can fork out for what seems like an expensice ''hobby'' then surely they can afford a little more for their sons education where as alot cant. I also think its wrong for people to stereotype and say people who get EMA only spend it on drink and dont bother with school, people who normally say that dont know that you only recieve EMA by the attendance each week which is checked weekly in school.

Without EMA, I wouldnt be able to afford 6th form, now I recieve it, it means that I will hopefully enjoy my chosen career and will enjoy a healthy, normal lifestyle in which the government can tax me on time and time again

[Black_Apalachi]

My mate got it just because his parents are separated and he lives with his mum even though his dad is MINTEDDDD and he sees him all the time.

[Alkaz]

My friend, happens to be indian and parents own about 8 houses, he said he lives in a house his sister rents from his parents, as a student the household income is less than £20,000. People like that do not deserve it at all.

[Immenseman]

people are going to cheat any system though, if they can do it and get away with it, why the hell not ol:

[Alkaz]

If people think that, whats the problem if people who recieve ema dont spend it on school?

[Immenseman]

system should just be scrapped

[Alkaz]

But that would mean thousands would go without meaning there would people who dont need it can continue being smug that, they can afford it.

[Immenseman]

then they could implement the idea i posted a few posts above