In the grand scheme of things it isn't a great deal of money these days compared to thirty years ago. Someone earning 10 grand a year was on ridiculously good money in the late 70s or early 80s. To the common man it was more than a year's wages. These days it's well below the minimum wage. It really isn't a great deal of wedge.
Going under the assumption you'd work a full 40 hour week on £6.08 (the highest bracket of national minimum wage) EVERY week, you'd earn £11,673.
Take out sick leave, holiday leave and annual entitled leave...Not to mention the good old taxman taking his slice of the cake too, and you're probably looking at more like £10,000, maybe slightly less.
Anyone who works less than 40 hours a week would be earning less, of course, but even still, it's hardly "well below the minimum wage"...Just out of interest, now that I've actually bothered to do the maths for you, what sort of figure did you have floating around that made you come to the conclusion that £10,000 is well below minimum...?