Unpaid reporting to work early

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HI, I work for a retail agency that places employees in retail outlets. Due to clothing standards not being met by some past employees, one of the retail clients has requested that all agency staff report to an agency representative at a coffee shop nearby 15 minutes before the shift starts to ensure our clothing is of standard. We are not paid for this 15 minutes. As of today they have requested I report 30 minutes before shift, again unpaid. Are they allowed to do this? Can I claim the time from them as paid time? To further complicate this, I am on UC and am concerned this will be classed as unpaid work and have written a note to my work coach asking if it would affect my payments as, of course, any time I am not working for my agency should be covered by UC so am thinking they wouldn't be too happy covering me for this time. Thank you in advance for any help anyone can give on this.
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Issue is don't do it they not give you shifts
If the extra time counts as work (and I am not sure it does) it would only be unlawful not to pay you for it if it takes your total pay (for both the working time and "coffee shop time" added together) below the national minimum wage.
There are plenty of similar examples even when people are directly employed without an agency. For example, if a shop opens from 9 to 5 then the staff have clearly got to be there a bit before and after those times (say 8.45 to 5.15). Providing they are getting more than the NMW then it matters little whether the extra half an hour is paid or just included in a higher hourly rate for the hours the shop is open to customers.
Equally in many professional fields, especially for more junior staff, working many more hours than contracted is not just expected but the only way to progress your career.
Are they expecting you to do anything else in that half hour?
How much do you need the job? Are you in a union? You'd get a much more reliable answer from them if you were ...
As others have said, if you still receive NMW or higher even allowing for the extra time, it is not illegal.
When you all (how many?) meet at the coffee shop, does the company provide / buy you all breakfast? I was just wondering whether the company could spin this as a team morale boosting exercise. Obviously, it is not working like that in your case, but that could be their aim.
If a large group are meeting at the coffee shop and no one is buying anything, won't the coffee shop soon turf you all out?