Information

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Can I get EMA

EMA is a weekly payment of £30, paid every 2 weeks in arrears.

If you meet the eligibility criteria you need to apply directly to your school or college.

Does my EMA affect other benefits?

EMA is currently paid in addition to Child Benefit and other benefits. Young people on Job Seekers' Allowance or on government supported training schemes are not eligible for EMAs.

Who can get an EMA (eligibility)

EMAs are available to eligible people aged 16 to 19 who have reached school leaving age.

To be eligible, you need to meet the following criteria:

Residency

You need to have what's known as 'ordinary residence' to be eligible for EMA.

Ordinary residence means you live in one place. But there's rules that decide whether you're ordinarily resident in Scotland. There's different arrangements in place for different immigration statuses.

Household income

Your household income will also determine if you're eligible for EMA. Household income is the income of your parent(s) or carer(s) who live with you.

To qualify, households with one dependent child must be earning £24,421 per year or less, and households with more than one dependent child must be earning £26,884 or less, before tax.

Dependent children are those up to the age of 16 and those between the age of 16 and 25 in full time further or higher education.

Education

As well as the above, you can only qualify for EMA if you're any one of these:

All learners must take part in a learning agreement/action plan (previously known as an activity agreement) with the local council.

You can only get EMA if you're on a non-advanced course (those studying up to and including Advanced Highers at school, college or through home education). If you're not sure if your course qualifies as non-advanced, you should speak to your learning provider.

Contact your EMA team

Contact your local council's EMA team to find more information on being eligible:

Visit Aberdeen City CouncilVisit Aberdeenshire CouncilVisit Angus CouncilVisit Argyll and Bute CouncilVisit Clackmannanshire CouncilVisit Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council)Visit Dumfries & Galloway CouncilVisit Dundee CouncilVisit East Ayrshire CouncilVisit East Dunbartonshire CouncilVisit East Lothian CouncilVisit East Renfrewshire CouncilVisit Edinburgh CouncilVisit Falkirk CouncilVisit Fife CouncilVisit Glasgow City CouncilVisit Highland CouncilVisit Inverclyde CouncilVisit Midlothian CouncilVisit Moray CouncilVisit North Ayrshire CouncilVisit North Lanarkshire CouncilVisit Orkney Islands CouncilVisit Perth & Kinross CouncilVisit Renfrewshire CouncilVisit Scottish Borders CouncilVisit Shetland Islands CouncilVisit South Ayrshire CouncilVisit South Lanarkshire CouncilVisit Stirling CouncilVisit West Dunbartonshire CouncilVisit West Lothian Council
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