The Department of Education - the cuts

[Dean]

A friend of mine just linked me to an article on the Telegraph which is all about the cuts and what it means for the Department of Education. From reading this, I learned that EMA is going to be scrapped and I quote "The Education Maintenance Allowance – giving teenagers £30 a week to remain in college beyond the age of 16 – will also be scrapped in favour of more “targeted support”."

I agree that EMA is being taken advantage of, people who are able to claim it will just claim it and NOT use it for educational purposes. I personally use EMA to get to college each day (I have to take a train) to get a decent education. I'm not quite sure what will happen if my EMA is taken away or is scrapped, because the only alternative they're offering instead of hand-outs is "targeted support" - it would be nice to know what kind of targeted support.

So, for people like me who actually genuinely need EMA to get to college each day, it's quite disappointing, and I'm quite angry at the fact that they haven't really stated what the targeted support is. For all we know, it could be just a tiny help towards getting me to college. Unfortunately, my family (well, me and my mother) is not in the financial state to be forking out for train fares (it's only 10 miles down the road, which is a 15 minute journey, but the price I pay for a monthly season ticket is astonishing. Did I mention that train prices on season tickets are to increase by 3% + inflation?)

I just want to know from the "population" of the forum, who actually claim EMA and which of those claiming EMA actually use it for it's purpose.

Do you believe that it's wrong to take it away from genuinely poorer families? It would be nice to hear your views!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...Education.html

[Robbie]

Do we know when the EMA is to be withdrawn?

[Dean]

Do we know when the EMA is to be withdrawn?

I'm not sure, but I would imagine soon.

[Pyroka]

Regarding your problem with 10 miles down the road, buy a bike. There's always an alternative.

Targeted support will probably be like, show us that you actually need it, like give us proper proof and we'll give it you. But yeah I'm happy EMA is going, I couldn't pay for my train fare every season, and I lived half an hour away from my college... which on the bus is about an hour away. I couldnt get EMA because my parents only just went over the threshold, but they have mortgages to pay, two children to provide for (me n me sis) plus their car insurance & bills to pay off, so really when that all gets taken off, they're less well off than the people with EMA. I had to get a job instead, whilst all my mates who seemed to be able to afford everything, got EMA. Oh and not to mention the fact my parents no longer get child support money because I'm 19 now, so that digs into their budget hugely plus my sister isn't going to get it for much longer either.

So yeah show me proper proof that they're genuinely poorer than the people who pay bills, and then maybe I'll give a damn.

Regarding when it'll get withdrawn, I heard that in Edinburgh, most colleges have told students not to fill in EMA forms for january because it probs wont be around by then. Bonuses have already been abolished I think, but yeah, oh well.

[Inseriousity.]

I claimed EMA and had to use it for what it was intended for because my dad couldnt pay for it so id have to pay for it. However, I also thought the whole system was unfair. A family with 5 kids and earning 35,000 a year aren't entitled to EMA but that's only 5000 per person whereas a family with 2 kids earning 24,000 would be 8000 per person but they'd be entitled to EMA, so I hope when they say 'targeted support' that it's correcting that but I have little faith in this government to correct wrongs but find a quick fix.

I noticed the department's non-schools budget's only decreasing 12%... that's not a lot really. It could probably be a lot more than that... 25%, 30%

[Callum.]

Hopefully the EMA gets scrapped in favour of things that people have argued about for ages such as travel etc. Too much goes on useless things, and people claim it because they are entitled too it, not normally because they actually need it.

[Robbie]

To be fair my EMA is spent on driving lessons however today I bought a book with it.

[Callum.]

To be fair my EMA is spent on driving lessons however today I bought a book with it.

Yeah I'm one to not even need my EMA, but claim it due to it being free money. I work part time, and £30 a week for going to school when I would do anyway is cool. Hopefully it comes into effect September 2011 aha.

Well done for buying a book Robbie, I am proud.

[Dean]

Yeah I'm one to not even need my EMA, but claim it due to it being free money. I work part time, and £30 a week for going to school when I would do anyway is cool. Hopefully it comes into effect September 2011 aha.

Well done for buying a book Robbie, I am proud.

I'm also gonna go into part time work whilst managing college, would be nice to work and get off my arse.

[xxMATTGxx]

Scrapping EMA has it's pros and cons, some people do actually rely on the EMA to get to college and it would be a shame for them to struggle even more without it. But hopefully the new system they put in place will help the people who need it the actual most. Oh and I believe the cuts or whatever will probably start next year, so you might be safe until then whoever gets EMA. (Not quite sure if that is bit is confirmed)