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Hi.
Thank you for writing to me about wanting to get a part-time job. It sounds like you've already thought about this quite a bit. I can hear how much you want to help your family out financially and I think that's a very mature and caring attitude to have.
I can hear that you've had a bit of trouble finding accurate information on the internet and it can be hard to know what to believe. As you've seen in the Your Rights page, you can get a part time job at 13, but there are some restrictions on the type of work you can do, and the hours you can work. This is to protect young people from being misused by employers, or working so much that it has a negative effect on their education. The Government website has more information about the law and young people and employment and that might be a good place to look.
You might want to think about how a part-time job will fit into your own life. For example, will you need to give something else up to make time? How might it affect other things you need to do, like school work and studying for exams? On the plus side, choosing a part-time job carefully could enable you to do something you enjoy, and also give you valuable experience.
Because there are so many rules about the type of jobs than you can have under the age of 16, it can be quite hard to find one. Don't let that put you off though, if you've decided to go for it, it's worth persevering. If you have a Connexions office in your local area, they might be able to give you some suggestions about where to start looking. You could also try speaking to the National Careers Service, who offer advice to 13-19 years old about employment and training. They have an online chat and email address, as well as a freephone number.
I can see from your letter that there is quite a lot going on at home, and it sounds like you've been feeling quite stressed and guilty. It might help to talk it through with someone, so that you can get a chance to express your feelings, and maybe talk through your plans for getting a job in a bit more detail. You can talk to a Childline counsellor on the phone or on line, or send an email if you dont need an instant response.
Take care,
Sam.
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.