Are you paying your interns at least the National Minimum Wage?
If you are considering hiring an intern, it’s important to find out whether they are entitled to be paid the National Minimum Wage (NMW).
Whether an intern should be paid NMW depends on their worker status. If they are classified as a worker for NMW purposes, they are entitled to at least the NMW for the hours they have worked during their internship.
You can find information on GOV.UK to help you work out whether an intern would be classified as a worker for NMW purposes.
Correcting NMW underpayments
If you think you’ve made a mistake you need to put things right. Here’s how you can do it:
- Change the working practices going forward.
- Calculate arrears: determine the arrears due to workers using current NMW rates.
- Pay arrears: ensure the arrears are paid back to the workers. For any affected ex workers, you must make all reasonable attempts to contact them.
If you have identified and paid arrears for underpayment of minimum wage, then there is an option to inform HMRC. You can do this by requesting a form by emailing voluntarydeclaration.nmw@hmrc.gov.uk.
Further Guidance and Resources
260,000 workers to get a pay rise across Yorkshire as new wage rates take effect
60,000 hard-working people across Yorkshire and the Humber will see their pay increase from today [1 April 2026], as the Government raises the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) rates.
Made Smarter Backs Local Manufacturers
Manufacturing businesses across York and North Yorkshire are being encouraged to embrace digital innovation through the Made Smarter programme, a government-funded initiative that helps companies adopt new technologies and strengthen their operations.
The Cyber Security Membership for SMEs in the North East
The North East Cyber Resilience Centre (“NECRC”) helps small and medium-sized businesses, charities, and public sector organisations improve their cyber security.
York coworking space launches International Women’s Day competition giving female entrepreneur £1,500 workspace boost!
The winner will receive a dedicated desk for six months in Blake House’s tranquil 13-desk coworking studio - an intentionally small workspace designed to create a genuine business community, offering a calm and focused alternative to the large, impersonal workspaces that many entrepreneurs reportedly experience.
Farm Business Support Programme
This programme is a planned schedule of practical workshops designed to help farm businesses understand where they are now, where they want to be next, and how to make confident decisions in a fast-changing industry. The focus is simple: real world, farm focused business skills that can be applied straight back at home.
New business fund tackles biggest barrier to growth
The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire has invited businesses to apply for a new programme to help overcome one of the biggest barriers to growth. Get Funded, part of the Mayor’s Business Innovation Fund and backed by £200,000 in funding, launched today and will run for the next two years until December 2027.
Kick Off In Business: Fully Funded Opportunity
Online business start-up & self-employment courses funded by York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Adult Skills Fund, providing straightforward, practical information and guidance for anyone who is in the process of setting up a business or simply exploring the idea.
Mentoring Programme Set to Strengthen Local Business
The Mentoring for Growth Programme is designed to support small businesses across York and North Yorkshire that are ready to grow, scale, and move confidently into their next stage. The pilot will match local business owners and leaders with mentors from outside their industry, helping them to develop the core, non-technical skills that underpin sustainable business growth.
Strive Live Start-Up Incubator: Expression of Interest
Interested in joining a future cohort of Stive Live Start-Up Incubator? Find out more about the programme below, and register your interest to secure the first places when dates are confirmed.
Act now. 864,000 sole traders and landlords face new tax rules in two months
From 6 April 2026, those eligible will need to use recognised software to keep digital records and send HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) light-touch quarterly updates of their income and expenses. These are not extra tax returns.
Innovation Supper - Apply to Pitch
York Business School, Patch York and the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub are delighted to bring you a special edition of Innovation Supper. As part of this year's International Women's Day, we are inviting female entrepreneurs to apply to pitch their business.
Expression of Interest: Mentoring for Growth Programme
We’re launching a new mentoring programme designed to support small businesses across York and North Yorkshire who are ready to grow, scale and move confidently into their next stage. This programme connects local business leaders with experienced mentors from different sectors, creating space for honest conversations, fresh thinking and practical support.