Can an employer call someone an intern to avoid paying them?

The label does not decide it. What matters is the reality of the arrangement. If you are a worker, the title "intern" does not remove your right to the National Minimum Wage.

Are expenses enough instead of pay?

Not if you are a worker. Covering travel or lunch is not the same as paying the minimum wage. Genuine volunteers can have expenses reimbursed, but that is a separate category.

Can I claim back pay for an unpaid internship?

You may be able to. If you were a worker and were underpaid, you can raise it with the employer, contact Acas, or complain to HMRC. Time limits apply, so act sooner rather than later.

Is an unpaid placement as part of my degree legal?

Generally yes, if it is a required part of a UK further or higher education course and lasts less than a year. Check with your university or college.

Are unpaid internships legal in the UK?

“Internship” has no legal meaning in the UK. What matters is whether the arrangement makes you a worker, a volunteer, a student on a placement or something else. The answer decides whether you must be paid.

This page follows the position set out on GOV.UK. Check there for the current rates and rules.

When are you entitled to be paid?

If you count as a worker, you are generally entitled to at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, depending on your age. Unpaid is not allowed in that case, even if you agreed to it.

You are likely to be a worker if:

You have set hours or are expected to turn up at set times.
You do real work that benefits the business, not just observe.
You have been promised, or reasonably expect, future work or a job.
The employer controls how, when or where you do the work.

An agreement that says “this is unpaid” doesn’t override this. The law looks at what happens in practice.

What are the exceptions?

Some people can lawfully work without pay. GOV.UK lists several categories. The ones that most often come up with internships are:

Student placements. If a placement is a required part of a UK further or higher education course and lasts less than a year, you may not be entitled to the minimum wage.
Work shadowing. Watching someone do their job, without doing the work yourself, is not the same as working.
Voluntary workers. You may be a genuine volunteer for a charity, a voluntary organisation, an associated fund-raising body or a statutory body, if you aren’t entitled to any payment other than expenses and there is no contract requiring you to do the work.

Be careful with that last one. A for-profit company can’t usually call someone a volunteer to avoid paying them.

How do you tell if your internship is legal?

Ask yourself:

Am I doing real tasks for the business, or watching?
Do I have fixed hours or a schedule I’m expected to keep?
Is there a suggestion that this leads to paid work?
Is the placement required by my course?
Is the employer a charity or similar body, and am I a genuine volunteer?

If you answer yes to the first three and no to the last two, you may well be a worker. That points to the National Minimum Wage.

An advert that offers no pay for work that looks like a job is a warning sign, not proof of anything. Read what the role involves. If it asks for set hours, specific skills and real output, ask how it fits with the minimum wage rules.

Many adverts don’t mention pay at all. That doesn’t mean they are unpaid. Ask before you accept, in writing:

Hello [Name],

Thank you for offering me the [Internship title] placement. Before I confirm, could you tell me whether the role is paid, what the rate is, and what hours you expect?

Thank you, [Your name]

Keep the reply. If the answer is vague, treat that as information.

How do you raise it with the employer?

Start informally. Many employers don’t know the rules, or have simply overlooked them.

Send a short email saying you believe you are entitled to the National Minimum Wage and asking them to review the arrangement.
Be calm and factual. Include your dates, hours and what you’ve been doing.
Ask for a reply by a set date.

You can keep it friendly and still be clear. If you want to stay on good terms, say so.

Where can you get help?

Acas gives free, impartial advice on workplace rights and can explain your options, including early conciliation if a dispute goes further. See acas.org.uk.
GOV.UK has a page on the National Minimum Wage and a tool to check if you’re being paid correctly, and explains how to make a complaint to HMRC, which enforces the minimum wage. See gov.uk.
Your university or college careers service can advise if your placement is part of a course.
A union, if you’re a member, may support you.

You can complain to HMRC even if you’ve left the job. Time limits for claiming arrears exist, so don’t wait.

What about the risk of annoying an employer?

This is the real worry for many people. You want the experience or the reference, and you don’t want to be seen as difficult. Think it through before you act, and weigh up what the placement offers against what you’re owed. A reasonable employer will want to get it right. If an employer reacts badly to a polite question about pay, that tells you something about working there.

Acas can talk through your options in confidence before you decide.

How do you avoid the problem in future?

Ask about pay before you accept, and get the answer in writing.
Be wary of “experience” offers with no end date or clear learning aim.
Check whether a charity is a genuine one before agreeing to volunteer.
Keep a record of hours and tasks.
Treat any request to pay a fee for an internship as a red flag.

This is general information, not legal advice.