Tackling child poverty delivery plan 2022-2026 - annex 5: impact of policies on child poverty

Education Maintenance Allowance

To support eligible young people from low income households to participate in learning and further education. The policy provides financial support of £30 per week to assist young people (aged 16-19) by removing financial barriers to participation and influencing the decision of the young person to continue in education.

• Income from employment
• Costs of living
• Income from social security and benefits in kind

Enhanced life chances (e.g. health, wellbeing, capabilities, longer term goals)

Potential size of impact

Over 29,000 school pupils, college students and individuals on learning agreements received EMA payments over 2017-18.

Type of impact

Indirect by improving educational attainment, positive destinations and reduced youth unemployment

Certainty of impact

It is anticipated that EMA will indirectly impact on child poverty by resulting in higher attainment, increased positive destination and reduced youth unemployment.

Priority families targeted by policy:

• Lone parents
• 3+ children
• Disabled
• Minority ethnic

Priority families are most likely to be in poverty and young people from all these families are likely to benefit.

Tracking progress

The programme is an entitlement and demand led programme which is administered by local authorities and colleges on behalf of Scottish Ministers. Annual statistics are collated and produced by Scottish Government, the most recent figures are for the period 2017/18. Information published includes the volume of EMA recipients and additional demographic breakdown by age, gender and SIMD residency.