Thousands of pupils entitled to education maintenance allowance are still awaiting payment several weeks after the start of term.
The Conservative shadow children's secretary, Michael Gove, is calling for an inquiry to look into the delay and to examine details of the government's £75m contract with the firm delivering the payments, Liberata.
The payments of £30 are for 16- to 18-year-olds as an incentive to stay in education after secondary school.
"Thousands of pupils have not received the money they're entitled to and it looks as if many are not having their applications processed correctly," said Gove.
"We urgently need an independent inquiry to establish what has gone so badly wrong and how we can avoid the same situation next year."
The Learning and Skills Council, which is responsible for the allowance, announced last week that Liberata had taken on an extra 460 staff to address delays.
"This is a very regrettable and distressing situation. It is a matter of the utmost priority to resolve this issue swiftly," said LSC chief executive Mark Haysom.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
