Legal action could be launched on behalf of students who believe their two-year contracts for study has been breached by the government’s decision to axe the education maintenance allowance (EMA).

The Save EMA campaign is receiving advice from trade union lawyers supported by Unison who are examining whether they can win payments for students who began courses in September expecting two years of financial support.

Students sign an EMA contract which commits them to rules on attendance, punctuality and achievement in return for the payments, prompting the claim that the Government may be obliged to fulfil its part of the bargain for around 300,000 students.

Both Save EMA and Unison are currently gathering further evidence on paper work.

According to a YouGov poll last week almost half the British public oppose the government’s plans to abolish the Education Maintenance Allowances (EMA).

The poll also showed that a substantial amount of those who voted for both coalition parties at the last election and who intend to vote at coming elections also oppose the abolition of the EMA:

· 50 % who voted Lib Dem in 2010 oppose abolition of EMA
· 42% who still intend to vote Lib Dem oppose abolition of EMA
· 27% who voted Conservative in 2010
· 25% who still intend to vote Conservative oppose Abolition of EMA

James Mills, head of the Save EMA campaign, said:

David Cameron went to a few colleges and said, ‘We won’t scrap EMA.’ There was a clear promise that EMA won’t be axed and students joined their courses on that basis and committed themselves for two years.

Michael Gove said before the election that he would not scrap EMA, and that anyone who said he would was a liar.

A report by the think-tank IFS earlier this year destroyed government justifications for cutting EMAs.

Reader comments

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