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Funding placement year -unpaid internship

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My DD is on an unpaid internship for 6 months. And is applying for another one to start in January. Her finance has finally come in. £853 per term. She is in London.
I have supported her since she started in June.Now have no more funds left. This terms finance will keep her until Xmas.
Januarys Finance will see her through to February. LEA say no further funding available. She is not part of todays news about 'unpaid interns' as it is considered to be part of her course.
Where can I find help to finance the rest of the year?
HELP!!!
«1

Comments

  • What course is she doing? And where is she getting 'experience' ?
  • She is studying Fashion and textiles and is working at a fashion design studio in the production dept. :)
  • Did I not read somewhere recently that unpaid internship has been ruled unlawful ? Minimum wage must be paid, I think.
    From the late great Tommy Cooper: "He said 'I'm going to chop off the bottom of one of your trouser legs and put it in a library.' I thought 'That's a turn-up for the books.' "
  • Yes, it was on the news this morning. I phoned HMRC and they said as it is her "sandwich year" she is not covered by minimum wage. :(
  • Lokolo
    Lokolo Posts: 20,861 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts
    Not sure why HMRC person thinks internships would be different the "placement years", they are effectively the same thing!
  • Yes, I agree - maybe HMRC aren't the right authority to ask - a call to an Employment Tribunal office might be more to the point.
    From the late great Tommy Cooper: "He said 'I'm going to chop off the bottom of one of your trouser legs and put it in a library.' I thought 'That's a turn-up for the books.' "
  • Yes, I agree - maybe HMRC aren't the right authority to ask - a call to an Employment Tribunal office might be more to the point.

    ET offices do not give legal advice. ACAS would be a more suitable source of information, or indeed the welfare officer at the university.
  • I have checked the govt guidance, and it seems placement years are excluded.

    https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-work-experience-and-internships
    students working as a required part of a UK-based further or higher education course don’t qualify for the NMW if their placement with you or your organisation does not exceed one year. The exemption does not apply to students performing work that is not related to their course, eg to help finance their studies or during a gap year
  • Is there any chance her student finance has been wrongly calculated? I presume that she is living at home and that your family income is high from the figures you give, but if it looks a lot different than usual then asking for a reassessment might be in order. The SLC have been known to make errors with placement years... The student finance team at her university might be able to give some help on this. Placement students can also apply for help from the hardship funds (access to learning fund) administered by the university if they experience unexpected costs - it might be worth your daughter looking at the criteria to see if she might be eligible.
    I know the fashion industry is well-known for being exploitative, (some industrial sectors pay their placement students rather well), but could she try and negotiate at least her travel expenses being paid?
  • atypical
    atypical Posts: 1,342 Forumite
    I have checked the govt guidance, and it seems placement years are excluded.

    https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-work-experience-and-internships
    Placement years are excluded. There was a lot of press one time about unpaid interns acting as MPs' researchers. This died down after the University of Leeds introduced a Politics course with a 1 year placement as an MPs assistant (unpaid of course). Seems no better an outcome to me.

    http://www.polis.leeds.ac.uk/undergraduates/ba-politics-parliamentary-studies/
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