Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat Enhance Checks Against Illegal Employment

According to government announcements, Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat are implementing stricter security measures in their apps to address illegal working practices. As delivery riders are self-employed, they traditionally have the flexibility to delegate tasks to others. However, the government has identified a "small minority" of drivers who have exploited this flexibility, bypassing necessary right-to-work verifications.

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In March, an investigation by The i newspaper unveiled a burgeoning black market for substitute riders, enabling individuals who would otherwise fail criminal background checks or those residing in the country illegally to rent app profiles for work purposes.

Michael Tomlinson, the Minister for Countering Illegal Migration, highlighted that such loopholes jeopardise customer safety and impose financial burdens on taxpayers. In response, Just Eat, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats have pledged to introduce more rigorous checks to verify the eligibility of substitute riders working in the UK.

Earlier this month, Deliveroo launched a new substitution registration feature, which includes comprehensive right-to-work checks. This initiative followed a recent ministerial visit to Deliveroo's London headquarters.

A Deliveroo spokesperson emphasised the company's commitment to enhancing platform integrity, stating, "We take our responsibilities extremely seriously and are committed to strengthening our controls to prevent misuse of our platform. We are the first major platform to roll out direct right to work checks, a registration process, and identity verification technology to ensure that only substitutes with right to work can continue riding on our platform."

The Home Office reported a 68% increase in enforcement actions against illegal working last year. Tomlinson commended the cooperation of the three companies: "I thank all three companies for their willingness to work with us to protect the British public, and sincerely hope that the changes we have discussed today are put into practice as swiftly as possible."

We welcome your thoughts and comments on these developments. How will these changes impact the delivery service industry and its workers? Please share your views below.