Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) August 2022
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) from August 2022
What is EMA?
EMA is a weekly allowance payable fortnightly during term time to all eligible young people aged over the statutory school leaving age who meet the criteria. The young person must be willing to adhere to an approved Learning Agreement at school.
The scheme will pay a maintenance allowance of £30 per week (dependant on individual circumstances) provided that the conditions of a learning agreement between the young person and the school are met.
How does it work?
- EMA is paid direct to young people into their own bank account;
- The EMA is a weekly allowance and is only paid for full weeks within term time up to a maximum of 42 weeks in any one academic year. It can only be paid where the conditions of the learning agreement are met;
- EMA payments are not made during short term-time holidays which include the October week, Christmas and Spring break;
- If a pupil goes on holiday during term time, they will not receive EMA whilst on holiday;
- A pupil must have a current signed Learning Agreement with their school and keep to the conditions of that Learning Agreement;
- The school will monitor each individual pupil’s Learning Agreement and advise the Council if the terms of the agreement are not met.
What is a Learning Agreement?
- A Learning Agreement is an agreement between a pupil and their school that sets out the learning that will need to take place and the pupil’s responsibilities. It also sets out what is expected in terms of attendance, conduct and progress to receive EMA;
- To be eligible for an EMA a pupil must sign a Learning Agreement which must also be signed by the parent and by the school they are attending;
- A new Learning Agreement is completed for each academic year and;
- EMA may be stopped by the school if a pupil does not comply with the conditions of the Learning Agreement.
Further Information
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EMA awards are based on the total taxable household income. For example: |
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|---|---|
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INCOME |
WEEKLY PAYMENT |
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Less than £24,421 (for families with a single child in full-time education) |
£30 per week |
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Less than £26,884 (for families with more than one child in full-time education) |
£30 per week |
Evidence of Household Income Required
The evidence of income will vary depending on the circumstances of parents. Details of the acceptable evidence is shown on the application form. If after reading this you require further information, please call 01475 712850 – option 2.
How EMA can be Used
EMA is designed to support young people to stay on at school once they have reached the age to leave compulsory education. The payment is intended to help meet the costs of study and to encourage the student to continue with their education.
Effects on Other Benefits
EMA is currently paid over and above Child Benefit and other benefits.
Method of Payment
Payment is made directly into the young person’s bank account. The account must be capable of receiving BACS payments. If advice is needed on setting up a bank account, the young person should make contact with the bank they wish to join for further information.
Applications
You can apply online using the link under the Related Links section on this page.
If you decide to return a paper form including important documents such as birth certificates and/or passports by post, we recommend that you use Royal Mail recorded delivery to allow you to trace the package and ensure the safety of your documents. Original documentation will also be returned to you by recorded delivery.
The table below/over shows the Scottish Government set deadline dates for submission and when payment can be expected (assuming the young person meets the qualifying criteria).
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Date of birth between |
1 March 2003 - 30 September 2006 |
1 October 2006 - 28 February 2007 |
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Eligible from |
August 2022 |
January 2023 |
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Submission deadlines |
30 September 2022 |
28 February 2023 |
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If submission date is missed |
Payment is made from date of submission only |
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Final Submission date |
31 Mar 2023. Applications received after this date will not be considered |
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Late Applications
Students are eligible to apply for an EMA within the academic year however, the cut off dates for Education Services to process application forms will be 31 March 2023. No applications will be processed after 31 March 2023 for the current academic year. Students whose application forms have been received after this date will not receive payments for school session 2022/2023.
Changing schools during the year
This will not affect your entitlement to an EMA, provided that you renew your EMA Learning Agreement with your new school.
PLEASE NOTE: A fresh EMA application must be made each academic year, including all original documentation needed to complete the assessment.
Please remember that due to Royal Mail price structure, one 1st class stamp WILL NOT cover postage charges for this document, resulting in non-delivery of the item.
Inverclyde Council cannot accept responsibility for lost or undelivered items of mail.
Application forms should be completed online using the Inverclyde LIVE EMA Application link on the related links section of this page.
If you are unable to access the application online, or require support to make the application, please contact the Customer Contact Centre, for further assistance on 01475 712850 - option 2.
Telephone service is available during the following hours:-
Monday 8.45 am to 4.30 pm
Tuesday 8.45 am to 4.30 pm
Wednesday 8.45 am to 4.30 pm
Thursday 8.45 am to 4.30 pm
Friday 8.45 am to 3.45 pm
To send an email, please use the link on the right hand side.
We can produce information on request in large print, Braille, tape and on disk. It is also available in other languages. If you need information in any of these formats please contact us on 01475 717171.