Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) from August 2024
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 EMA 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.
- The school will monitor each individual pupil’s Learning Agreement and advise the Council if the terms of the agreement are not met.
- 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.
- If you have followed the conditions of the EMA award prior to study leave starting, you will be considered for payment during the SQA exam period. At the end of the SQA exam timetable, S6 pupils will no longer be entitled to any payment.
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 within 6 weeks of their application being approved 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.
- EMA may be stopped by the school if a pupil does not comply with the conditions of the Learning Agreement.
Household Income Thresholds for 2024/2025
|
INCOME |
WEEKLY PAYMENT |
|---|---|
|
Less than £24,421 (for families with a single child in full-time education) |
£30 per week |
|
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 are 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 contact 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 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. Inverclyde Council cannot accept responsibility for lost or undelivered items of mail.
The table below shows the Scottish Government set deadline dates for submission and when payment can be expected (assuming the young person meets the qualifying criteria).
|
Date of birth between |
1 March 2005 - 30 September 2008 |
1 October 2008 - 28 February 2009 |
|---|---|---|
|
Eligible from |
August 2024 |
January 2025 |
|
Submission deadlines |
30 September 2024 |
28 February 2025 |
|
If submission date is missed |
Payment is made from date of submission only. |
|
|
Final Submission date for applications |
31 Mar 2025. Applications received after this date will not be considered. |
|
|
Submission date for supporting evidence |
If we request further information from you to assess the application, this must be submitted within two weeks from the date of request. Failure to supply documents within this timescale may result in Education Services being unable to consider backdated awards. |
|
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 2025. No applications will be processed after 31 March 2025 for the current academic year. Students whose application forms have been received after this date will not receive payments for school session 2024/2025.
Changing school within Inverclyde during the year
This will not affect your entitlement to an EMA, provided you renew your EMA Learning Agreement with your new school.
Application forms should be completed online using the 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 us, for further assistance on 01475 712850 - option 2.
| Monday | 8.45 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 8.45 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 8.45 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. |
| Thursday | 8.45 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. |
| Friday | 8.45 a.m. to 3.45 p.m. |
To send an email, please use the link on the right-hand side of this webpage.
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.