SNP MP Lara Bird has called on the UK Government to adopt Scottish policies that provide substantial financial support to young people, including free university tuition, free bus travel for under-22s, and the education maintenance allowance (EMA).
Young people in Scotland save thousands
Bird highlighted that young people in Scotland are saving thousands of pounds compared to their counterparts in England. The £30-a-week EMA is paid to low-income teenagers aged 16 to 19 who remain in school or further education. According to new analysis by the House of Commons Library, eligible students receive up to £1,140 a year through the scheme, with more than 21,000 young people receiving a payment in 2024/25.
The analysis shows that students in England lost out on an estimated £775 million over the last year. The EMA was scrapped in England in 2014, saving the Treasury around £8 billion since. The SNP claims that if the UK Government reinstated the scheme, the Scottish Government would receive up to an extra £90 million a year in funding.
SNP MP urges Labour to follow Scotland's lead
Bird said: “Under the SNP, young people in Scotland are benefiting from the best cost-of-living support in the UK – and they are saving thousands of pounds compared to the extra costs the Labour Government is piling on to young people in England.” She noted that in Scotland, tuition fees were scrapped, allowing young people to start their working lives with around £35,000 less debt than students in England. This comes as tuition fees are set to increase to £9,790 a year from September, the second rise since 2024.
Bird added: “While young people in Scotland are benefiting from up to £1,140 a year in education maintenance allowance grants, to help them stay in education, the Labour Party’s refusal to reinstate the EMA means that young people in England will lose out on an estimated £775 million of support this year.” She urged Andy Burnham to “follow Scotland’s lead” by matching the SNP government’s cost-of-living support for young people, including free bus travel for under-22s, where many in Scotland save over £1,000 a year compared to England.
UK Government responds
A UK Government spokesperson said: “The UK Government is determined to provide breathing space on the cost of living. In his first weeks in office, the Prime Minister has taken immediate action to put more money in people’s pockets, including by cutting VAT from electricity bills and capping bus fares in England and Wales.”
