If You Are Under 16

The law says you must have an adult responsible for you and that you cannot live alone. A lot of help described in the Guide will be of no use - for example you cannot use hostels or Nightstop, you cannot claim benefits or work full time. If things are bad at home it is usually better (and safer) to try and sort things out, rather than running away. Your main options are:

• Get help sorting things out with your parents; if no one in the family can help you do this, contact Children's Services and ask them for help.
• Living with someone else - e.g. another family member or friend's parents. They should be able to claim Child Benefit for you instead of your parent(s), and perhaps other benefits too if they are on benefits or a low wage themselves. Whether or not your parents have to agree to this will depend on your age and the circumstances.
• The Local Authority have a duty to look after you if you are kicked out, or if things are too bad for you to live at home. You can ask a teacher, youth worker etc to refer you to Children's Services, or go to Customer Advice Centre and ask them to refer you. If you need help they will put you in touch with a social worker at Children's Services.
• Your options change when you are 16, so you may decide to stick it out till then, and in the meantime, find out all you can for the future. Some options also change when you are officially of school leaving age. Contact Childline or one of the other listed agencies to talk things through.