07 Feb 2024
During National Apprenticeship Week HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is encouraging apprentices to claim the money that is rightfully theirs. Whether that’s making sure you’re being paid the correct hourly rate to claiming the savings in your Child Trust Fund, this is how to do it.
Know your worth
You’ve started an apprenticeship, you’re bringing home a wage, but are you getting paid correctly? Apprentices are the workers most likely to be underpaid according to The Low Pay Commission.
Apprentice pay rates
Most workers are legally entitled to the National Minimum Wage, but minimum rates of pay differ, depending on your age and what year of your apprenticeship you’re in.
Common mistakes made by employers include not paying apprentices for the time they spend training, or for all the time worked; and not increasing the hourly rate after the annual increase, or when the apprentice has completed their first year.
It is always worth checking your pay. If you think that you are not receiving the correct minimum wage:
Claim what’s yours
Child Trust Funds (CTF) are tax-free savings accounts set up by the UK Government for children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011.
The government paid in at least £250, and families and friends were also able to contribute.
You can take control of your account from 16 years old and withdraw any savings when you turn 18 by contacting your CTF provider. If you don’t know who your CTF account is with, and your parents/guardian are none the wiser, you can ask HMRC.
You will need your National Insurance number to claim.
Find out how to claim on GOV.UK by searching ‘find a child trust fund’.
National Insurance number
Your National Insurance (NI) number ensures your NI contributions and tax are recorded against your name and unlocks access to a pension and benefits should you need them.
HMRC should send you your NI number a few months before you turn 16. If you don’t have it, search ‘apply for a National Insurance number’ on GOV.UK.
HMRC app
Our highly rated app is a useful tool. To use it, download the app from the App Store or Google Play and create a ‘Government Gateway’ account. You can access these useful features:
Scams
Protect yourself from the fraudsters who want to swindle you out of your hard-earned money.
More than 6,500 people aged 18 to 24 reported tax-related phone scams to HMRC last year.
Common scams include offers of a tax rebate, warnings that your tax details are out of date, or threats of immediate arrest for tax evasion.
If a phone call, text or email is suspicious or unexpected, don’t give out private information or reply, and don’t download attachments or click on links.
If you’re unsure about a text claiming to be from HMRC forward it to 60599, or an email to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk. Report a tax scam phone call on GOV.UK.