DO you know someone who is staying on at school and who was born between March 1 2000 and February 29 2004? If you do, then they could get £30 a week paid into their bank account.

Fife Council this week explained that the household income must be less than £24,421, for families with a single dependent child or £26,884 for more than one dependent child. Please note that if your household income is above £26,884 then no award is payable.

Councillor Fay Sinclair, convener of the education and children’s services committee, said: “If you’re entitled to this help, please make sure you apply.

“Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is paid in addition to other support and benefits you may receive so you won’t lose out on any other money, such as Child Benefit, if your child(ren) gets an EMA. As well as this, it doesn’t affect any money your child(ren) may earn from a part-time job.

“Also, if eligible, make sure applications are in by September 30 so that we can backdate it to August 14 2019. If you don’t, then the EMA will only be paid from the date the application is received. And don’t forget, even if your child(ren) has applied for an EMA before, they need to re-apply each academic year.”

Closing date for applications is 31st March 2020 and other deadlines for backdating also apply.

For more information and to apply visit www.fifedirect.org.uk/ema Alternatively email ema@fife.gov.uk or call 03451 55 11 55 and choose option 3.