At what age can I…
Suing and being sued
You can be sued at any age. However, you cannot be held responsible for debt that you owe until the age of 18.
You can sue someone if you are under 18 years old, but you will need a litigation friend to issue and conduct court proceedings on your behalf.
Money and Banking
The age at which you can open a bank or building society account varies according to the rules of the particular bank or building society, although most have special accounts for children and young people.
s.1(b) Minors’ Contracts Act 1987
At the age of 16, you can buy Premium bonds.
s.4 Premium Savings Bonds Regulations 1972
At the age of 16, you can open an Individual Savings Account (ISA).
s.12 Individual Savings Account regulations 1998
At the age of 18, you can agree to pay a loan that was given when you were under 18 years old.
s.1(b) Minors’ Contracts Act 1987
At the age of 18, you can open a bank account or get a credit card without your parents’ signature. You are also able to take out a personal loan.
Social Security
At the age of 16, you can get a National Insurance Number.
At the age of 16, you may receive income support in certain circumstances, for example, if you are still in full-time education at school or college and are forced to live away from your parents.
S.124 Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 and Schedule 1B Income Support (General) Regulations 1987
At the age of 16, you may also be able to obtain jobseeker’s allowance if you are registered for training but you are not receiving any, and you are also suffering severe hardship.
S.16 Jobseekers Act 1995
At the age of 16, if you are an ‘eligible child’ or a ‘relevant child’ (you have been ‘looked after’ by the local authority for at least 13 weeks from the age of 14, whether or not you are still ‘looked after’ by the local authority), you are not allowed to claim income support, housing benefit or jobseeker’s allowance, but you can seek financial aid from the Local Authority.
S.6 Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000
At the age of 16, you may be assessed to pay child support if you are an absent parent
s5 Child Support (Maintenance Calculation and Special Cases) Regulations 2000
Contracts and Property Ownership
At the age of 18, you can enter contracts, this means you can make binding contracts in your own right. You can own land, buy a house or flat, hold a tenancy or apply for a mortgage. You can become entitled to any property that has been held in trust for you.
s.35 Finance Act 2005.
At the age of 18, you can act as an executor or administrator of a deceased person’s estate.
s.1(a) Minors’ Contracts Act 1987
At the age of 18, you can sell an item at a pawnshop.
