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🇬🇧 UK Apprentices · Legal Check

Apprentice Pay Checker

Thousands of UK apprentices are illegally underpaid. Use our instant checker to find out if you are owed backpay.

✓Checks the 'Year One' rule✓Age-based Logic✓Calculates Backpay Owed✓Free — no sign-up

Your Apprenticeship Details

The Verdict

✅ Your pay meets the legal minimum.

Your Legal Minimum Wage

£0.00 / hr

Why? Because you are 19 years old and in your 2nd+ year of an apprenticeship, your employer is legally required to pay you the standard National Minimum Wage for your age.

Your Current Pay

£7.55 / hr
Weekly Gross Pay:£283.13
Should Be:£0.00
Weekly Difference:+£283.13
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The Apprentice Minimum Wage Rules

The UK Apprentice Minimum Wage is heavily discounted compared to the standard minimum wage. It exists to encourage employers to take on inexperienced staff and train them. However, the rules surrounding when this discounted rate can be used are highly specific.

Every year, HMRC catches hundreds of companies underpaying their apprentices simply because their payroll departments don't understand the rules. If you suspect your payslip is wrong, you can double-check the deductions using our Take-Home Pay Calculator.

The Critical "Year One" Rule

The Apprentice Rate only applies in two scenarios:

  • Scenario 1: You are under 19 years old. (In this case, you stay on the Apprentice Rate for the entire duration of your apprenticeship).
  • Scenario 2: You are 19 or older, but you are in the first year of your apprenticeship.

What Happens When You Turn 19?

If you turn 19 and you have already completed the first 12 months of your apprenticeship, a legal trigger occurs. Your employer must immediately increase your pay to the standard National Minimum Wage for your age.

For example, if you are 20 years old and starting the second year of your apprenticeship, your employer can no longer pay you the £7.55/hr apprentice rate. They must jump you up to £10.00/hr. If they fail to do this, they are breaking the law and owe you backpay.

Do I Get Paid for College Days?

Yes! This is one of the most common ways apprentices are short-changed. Any time spent training, at college, or studying for exams that are part of your apprenticeship must be paid at your normal hourly rate.

Apprentice Pay Rules

Frequently asked questions

What is the Apprentice Minimum Wage?
The Apprentice Rate (£6.40/hr in 2024/25, rising to an estimated £7.55/hr in 2026) is the absolute lowest amount an employer can legally pay an apprentice. However, it only applies if you are under 19, or in the very first year of your apprenticeship.
What happens when I turn 19 on an apprenticeship?
If you turn 19 AND you have already completed the first year of your apprenticeship, your employer is legally required to immediately bump your pay up to the standard National Minimum Wage for your age bracket (£10.00+). If you are 19 but still in your first year, you stay on the Apprentice Rate until the first year is finished.
Do I get paid for college or training days?
Yes! This is the most common way employers break the law. You must be paid your normal hourly rate for any time spent at college, taking exams, or doing training that is part of your apprenticeship.
What should I do if my employer is underpaying me?
First, show them the rules on Gov.uk—sometimes it's a genuine payroll mistake. If they refuse to fix it, you can report them anonymously to HMRC, who will investigate, force them to pay your backpay, and heavily fine the company.
Can I be paid the apprentice rate if I'm not doing a real apprenticeship?
No. You must have a signed apprenticeship agreement and be enrolled in a recognised training framework. If your employer just calls you an 'apprentice' to pay you less, but gives you no official training, they are breaking the law and owe you standard National Minimum Wage backpay.
Does my apprentice pay increase when the minimum wage goes up in April?
Yes. The legal minimum wage rates update every April. Your employer must increase your pay in your first full pay packet after the new rates come into effect.
Do apprentices pay income tax and national insurance?
Yes, but only if you earn enough. You have the exact same £12,570 tax-free Personal Allowance as everyone else. Because the apprentice rate is so low, most apprentices do not earn enough to pay Income Tax, though you may pay a small amount of National Insurance.
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