I worked for a company when I was 19 years old. I should have been on a basic wage of about £.3.50 an hour, which is what over 18s were paid in shops. But because it was part of a trainee thing where I went to college one day a week, I was paid 80p an hour for the hours I was there. I still feel sick about it. They could have doubled my pay and it would have made the world of difference to me. They wouldn't have even noticed the hit on their finances. I literally cancelled my social life because I couldn't afford to go out. I had no life. I think they were wrong, and I think i was stupid to not confront them about it. I was too pathetic. I could have told them that my first employer on that scheme topped the money up by £15 a week, when I was 17 and asked them to match it. This was 2 years later, and I was earning a third less than I was at 17. It was a truly awful situation caused by global recession and the fact that no one would employ me, but seriously, these guys were all driving round in sports cars, giving out loans to other people to buy sports cars. While I couldn't afford the bus fare to go out with friends.