moving out

[Adriana Loui]

I am 15 years old and i live a very unsatisfying life, im always unhappy and never can do the things that make me happy, i want a job and i want to live on my own, is there a possible way to do that legally? if not, is it possible at all? if it is how can i make it happen?!!

[noxlumos]

Well it can't be long until you are 16 which will make matters much easier for you. If you leave school this year you can work full time after July legally and if next year then technically it's July next year before you can work full time assuming your job is through the books.

You will not find you get any problems with the police , social services etc if you move out after 16 wheras if you try now you'll have a very hard time of it.

Try not to let short term unhppiness drive you into making drastic decisions though, leaving home at 16 and being wholly self supporting is possible but it might not be perferable for you and might hamper your later life, by making it harder to go to college and Uni if you are so inclined and thus upping your earning potential.

What exactly is the matter at home that your life is so bad? Can you come to any compromises? Just think carefully before you rush into anything bc being self reliant is not easy at your age and you don't want to cut off your nose to spite your face.

[Shylock]

I wholeheartedly agree with Noxlumos.

First of all finding somewhere to live at 15yrs old is virtually impossible. If you were thinking of renting in the private sector, you will need references. You will also need to find a deposit, plus one months rent before you will be allowed to set foot in the door. Where I live that would be somewhere in the region of �1,350. That leaves "squatting" which I can assure you is not only dangerous, but also you will be subject to health risks.

There will be plenty of not so nice people out there ready to take advantage of you, knowing that you will vunerable, not to mention the worry you will cause all those people who love you.

Sorry to be harsh, but these are the home truths, and as said before, perhaps there may be someway to resolve your present unhappiness.

Take care, and hope things turn out on a much happier note.

[clancyblob]

Just to confirm that getting a place to stay can be a big problem as most landlords won't take under 18's as the contract signed is hard to enforce as under 18 you are not a legal adult. Most landlords won't take under 21's as they can be a bit of a pain with loud music etc etc! There are also legal restrictions on the hours you can work, and you won't be eligible for Benefits under 16, so it'll be hard to stay alive.Hang on in there, unless it's dangerous for you, in which case talk to someone about it.