[4426e6]

This is not true in the UK. You are paid a tax free stipend (currently ~£14k) and not considered a full worker - you certainly don't have the rights that full time staff have.

There is no salary progression, bonus or pension and your funding cuts off at 3/3.5/4 years. After that, you aren't eligible for any govt. benefits as you are a full time student.

In some parts of the UK £14k can go a long way, but UK PhD students definitely aren't equal to full time staff as it stands.

The pay can be higher with industry partnerships (£30k tax free!!) but this is the more usual research council level.

[liedra]

You might get a tax free stipend... :) Depends on whether you get a scholarship! (I have a PhD student of mine who has a "fees only" scholarship - she is employed doing other things at the university but that's separate from the PhD.

[_Wintermute]

Thankfully there has been a shift recently by the funding bodies to increase the stipend beyond the required minimum. Many in biomedical programmes are offering £18-20k a year.