A Maltese student who works part-time in the food-service industry has suddenly found her monthly income slashed and herself unable to claim the government’s €500 supplement for workers since she receives a student’s stipend.

“I’ve been told that I am not eligible for the €500 monthly supplement because I am still receiving a stipend,” Ashley* told Lovin Malta. “We receive €30 to €80 a month based on attendance, so I would usually get around €70 to €80.”

However, €80 a month was never going to be enough to cover the cost of rent and other essentials, leading to Ashley getting a part-time job to net around €450 a month in total. It was tiring trying to juggle school and part-time work, but she was able to stay afloat and continue her studies.

However, with her job no longer giving her any shifts due to the pandemic, she’s now found out that, unlike most part-time workers in Malta, she is not entitled to the €500 supplement due to her receiving a student’s stipend.

“I’ve found out that students and pensioners are not eligible. I used to have €450 a month, now I’m down to €70 a month, and I live in an apartment and need to pay rent…” she said worryingly.

Her friends and employer are now urging her to stop her stipend just so she can have enough money to make rent.

“I feel really disappointed, I was relying on this supplement to pay my rent, and if cancelling my stipend doesn’t work, I’m going to be in a mess,” she said. 

She laments the fact that students who went the extra mile and found an early job were being left behind by the Maltese government.

“Even though I was a student with a stipend, I was still working because I needed the money. So why can’t I get it now? I still need it, obviously… coronavirus or no coronavirus,” Ashley said.

“This stipend isn’t enough for us,” she continued, “especially for students who work part-time… we were working for a reason, for food and rent, we are trying to make a living while getting an education, we aren’t lazy.”

Like her, there are a number of vulnerable students who do not live at home and need to make ends meet while studying. However, after chasing the government and DIER for help, she’s received little response and is preparing for a potentially bleak future.

“We are still getting an education, but we might be homeless soon as well.”

*Names have been changed

Do you think students that were working part-time should be entitled to the government’s part-time supplement?