Deliveroo serving free insurance for riders

Food delivery service Deliveroo is spending £10 million to equip 35,000 riders with free accident insurance, but said further benefits risk classifying self-employed workers as staff.

Riders in 12 countries, including the UK, will be automatically enrolled in an insurance package that will cover them for a maximum of £7,500 of medical expenses as well as up to 75 per cent of average gross income if they are injured while working, at no cost to themselves.

Chief executive Will Shu said: “We would like to go further, but are currently constrained by the law. Deliveroo will continue arguing for [that] to be updated so on-demand companies can offer both flexibility and security.”

But union representatives said the company needs to go further. Mick Rix of the GMB said the company “must wake up to its other responsibilities and pay the national living wage for all time worked along with holiday and sick pay”.