Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

My younger daughter recently wrote to our MP about the EMA , which is probably wasted by the majority of kids it`s given to.

She received a short reply from him along with a letter from Alan Johnson. The letter from the latter contained the following statements

"EMA is designed to increase young people`s independence: it is paid direct to the young person`s bank account, for them to do with as they wish, which may include paying board money to their parents, or paying costs of study. As EMA is designed to have an incentive effect and in order for it to be effective young people are given the choice to spend their money as they want. "

" I believe that EMA is money well spent and I would like to assure .... that there is no intention to discriminate against certain students in favour of others."



My daughter would love to be independent - as I would love her to be, but the " lack of discrimination" means she needs more money (which she has to earn by babysitting) to keep up with her peers who are simply given money by the government to spend as they wish.

But of course that wouldn`t be discriminatory, would it??

I don't know anything about EMA - how do they work out who gets it & who doesn't? And at what age do students get it?

Its 16+ i think and i know at CH if a pupil gets a bad report etc then they can have their 'Christmas bonuses' or an installment not given to them.

I when i was 14 started babysitting for various staff and would make a lot of money doing that most Friday and Saturday nights then as soon as i was 16 i got a Saturday job and have had a job ever since, all CH hols I found a job and all through uni hols i found one!

Yes, basically 6th form education, based on parental income (yet it goes to the child) . Weekly installments of £10, £20 or £30 with bonuses for good grades in exams (maybe for good reports too) . I was told the bonus is £100 - not sure if that`s correct or not.

No wonder our taxes keep going up

I can only imagine how some of the students spend their money!

Sorry but I completely disagree with this! And as you say, it is very discriminatory.

Vonny wrote:No wonder our taxes keep going up

I can only imagine how some of the students spend their money!

Sorry but I completely disagree with this! And as you say, it is very discriminatory.

..but the Secretary of State for Education and Skills obviously doesn`t think it is!

but if it is used in the right way and given to the right people, it is positive discrimination, no?

I think we have done this before.

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/financialhelp/ema/

Basically it helps young people stay at school if there is a low family income, rather than them having to leave school and get a job to help out the family.

We have all heard about bright youngsters who have had to leave at 16 because the family can't afford to keep them at school.

It is paid to the young person in lieu of the parents giving them pocket money. The parents will still get child allowance, child tax credits etc.

Tsk, and back in my day, I had to go down t'pits...

Great Plum wrote:Tsk, and back in my day, I had to go down t'pits...

and all fer a tanner a week, eh, Plummy ?

indeed... and that was to feed me poor lil siblings...

Ar, the good old days.

A night out fer thruppence and a half-penny left in yer pocket when yer got home.

Diptheria and rickets for all.

The youngsters of today don't know their born