What if you've got a few problems, you're only 16 years old and you're constantly having arguments with your parents about everything about it? You want to stop these emotional hiccups from disrupting your whole life. You want to move out, either to live by yourself or with friends of your boyfriend/girlfriend. Can you do this without upsetting her college life and her relationship with her parents?

1. What you can and cannot do?
2. What you can expect from the local authority?
3. What financial support you're entitled to?

Solving these problems is a difficult task if you're only 16, legally you're still in the "custody and care" of your parents until she is 18 years old. Although fighting with your parents may cause emotional distress it is not causing any physical damage or disability. So proving the need to move out is going to be difficult.

If you moved out without her parent's permission, the courts could order you to return if they feel you've left without good enough explanation and reason. Although this very rarely happens, unless the person is in some kind of danger or unable to look after themselves. However if you do believe that living at home is that bad, you can get help from social services. Under the Children Act 1989 local authorities have to provide accommodation for 16 and 17 year olds who are in need or whose welfare would be endangered if accommodation was not provided.

Reading this may lead you to believe that if the fighting with your parents is bad enough, you can leave home and the council will have to provide you with accommodation, but this is not the case. Some Councils may not have the type of accommodation needed for young people and income support is not available to all 16 and 17 year olds. This causes a problem if you're fed up with your parents telling you what to do.

If you're under 18 and in full time education you can't expect much from the council. Housing benefit is not provided for students in full time education unless they have a child or a disability. If you do not come into one of these categories you can't apply for housing benefit and because you're under eighteen you can't legally rent a house or get a mortgage for one.

• You are 16 or over and homeless
• In priority
• Have a connection with the local area
• And have not made yourself intentionally homeless.

• You're pregnant
• You have a child who depends on you
• You've had to leave you last home because someone was violent towards you
• You've lost you home through something like fire or flood
• Your age, health problems or disability make you vulnerable and unable to cope with being homeless.

One of the best places to go for help with income support is the Youth Enquiry Service (Y.E.S), a non-profit organisation, which is open to anyone young up to the age of 25. They offer totally confidential, friendly support, with free appointments, which are sometimes instant.

It might take a while to get income support but if the council replies to your application with a letter that says your too young then they are telling you lies, they can provide income support for the under 18's. One of my friends had this experience, it took him a month to sort out his support and he had to appeal twice but if you are persistent they will listen to you.

There are a few conditions with income support these will be explained to you when you apply but the most important one is that you can't work over 15 hours per week while you are receiving it. Other places that provide support are Careers Advice Centres who can provide other financial aids if income support fails. The YMCA can also help; they provide bedsits to those who are officially homeless.