Education maintenance allowance

Those born between 01/03/2005 and 30/09/2008 can receive the 2023/24 EMA from August 2024. Those born between 01/10/2008 and 28/02/2009 can receive the 2023/24 EMA from January 2025. The household income assessed for EMA purposes is the same as that used by the Inland Revenue for assessing Tax Credits (i.e. gross taxable household income). To be paid an EMA by Aberdeen City Council you must have a bank account in your own name and attend an Aberdeen City area school. Students must be ordinarily resident in the UK. Generally this relates to the qualifying date and the 3 years immediately before.

For those eligible for a full year award the application must be submitted by 30 September. If you are eligible for an EMA from January then the form should be submitted by 28 February. No applications will be accepted after 31 March. 

An EMA Learning Agreement is an agreement between a pupil and the school that details the learning that will be offered and the responsibilities of both parties in attaining this.

Yes – payment of your EMA can be withheld if your school attendance falls below 100% in any one week. Lateness can also affect payments. If Learning Agreement conditions are not met, then your EMA may also be withheld.

If you do not receive the amount you expect on a pay day, contact your school or activity coach. 

You will be able to get an EMA for three years, as long as your family income does not rise above the £26,884 a year threshold and you are still attending secondary school. You need to apply each Academic Year that you want to claim EMA.

No, you will only be paid for the weeks that you attend school. In-service is not considered as a holiday for EMA purposes and payment can be still made for any such days, providing 100% attendance is met for the rest of that week.

Yes. You must submit an appeal within one month of being notified of our decision to refuse your application for an Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). You must state the reason for the appeal and submit any relevant additional evidence or information to ema@aberdeencity.gov.uk
We will endeavour to respond to appeals within 14 days of submission and we will contact you to request any further information if necessary. 

If you change schools within Aberdeen City area during term time, you must tell us so we can send you a new learning agreement.

If you move to a school outside of Aberdeen City area, or to a college, you must make a new application to the new local authority or the college.

When establishing what benefits should be taken into account when calculating eligibility to receive EMA, the Scottish Government follows the same criteria as set by HM Revenue and Customs for calculating Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.

When determining pensions in relation to household income, taxable income of the pension should be included in the household income. Non-taxable elements would be excluded. Please see HMRC website.

For ease of reference, the following table states which benefits should, and should not, be included when calculating household income for the purposes of EMA. The HMRC website also details areas which should and should not be taxed.