Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat are to conduct direct immigration status checks on all UK riders following mounting pressure from ministers to crack down on illegal working in the sector.
On Tuesday, the Home Office said that the three food delivery firms has agreed to amend their processes to confirm substitute riders had the right to work legally in the UK, the Financial Times reported.
It comes after immigration minister Robert Jenrick wrote to Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat in November, explaining heightened enforcement activity had exposed the level of illegal working in the food delivery sector.
He said this was “enabled by business models which rely on individuals themselves to confirm a person’s eligibility to work, enable unchecked account sharing to take place and are completely unacceptable.”
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The food delivery firms had been using a process where self-employed risers were able to appoint other people to complete work for them, with the responsibility of making sure a substitute is over 18, has the right to work in the UK and can do so safely.
In November, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed an appeal, stating that Deliveroo riders cannot be classified as “workers” under UK labour laws, due to their “employment relationship”.
In its written ruling, the court pointed out that food delivery riders could appoint a substitute to undertake a delivery, can work for competitors, and do not have to work specific hours or carry out deliveries at all.
However, as the practice has become increasingly controversial, Deliveroo rolled out a new tool earlier this month to register substitutes with checks on their working rights, and said on Tuesday that it was “committed to strengthening our controls to prevent misuse of our platform”.
Uber Eats said it planned to launch identity checks and Just Eat added that it was working “to develop a solution which will ensure couriers substituting their work do so in accordance with the law”.
