Blackpool Council - Work Permits for Children

Work Permits for Children

Having a part-time or holiday job can be a good experience for children, giving them experience of work and extra pocket money. However, there are national laws and local bye-laws in place which regulate the type of work children can do and the hours they can work. The advice leaflet explains the regulations in more detail but the main points are as follows:

Children of compulsory school age may only work if they:

are over 13 years of age
have a work permit issued by the Local Authority
have suitable clothes and shoes if working outdoors
are employed in ‘light work’.

Permitted Employment

Children aged 13 years may only be employed in light work in specified occupations, some of which are listed below.

For a complete list, refer to the Employment Bye-Laws.

delivery of newspapers
shop work – including shelf-stacking
domestic work in hotels·
café or restaurant
office work

A work permit is required whether or not a child is being paid for the work and even if they are working for a family business.
To obtain a work permit, a completed application form should be sent to the Pupil Welfare Service together with a copy of the child’s birth certificate. The application form should be completed by both the parent/carer of the child and the employer. There is no charge for the issue of work permits. The permit will be issued in the name as it appears on the birth certificate unless a deed poll document is sent in with the application form.

As a general rule, a child's attendance would need to be at least 90%, however each child's attendance is considered before a permit is issued.

There is no minimum wage set by the Government for school age children - this comes into effect when a young person reaches 16 years of age and has left school. A work permit is no longer required when a child reaches the maximum school leaving age. Currently, this is the last Friday in June of the school year they reach 16 years of age. A child does not need a work permit for work experience arranged by their school as work experience comes under the work experience scheme.

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Blackpool
FY3 9JL

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