Delivery companies told to stop allowing couriers to send substitutes

Delivery companies have been told to stop allowing riders to send a substitute in their place after concerns were raised about illegal working.

Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat met with government officials yesterday (Tuesday) and were told to end the practice of unchecked account sharing, known as ‘substitutions’, by implementing stricter controls.

Riders working for the platforms are classed as self-employed and, as in other sectors, have been able to allow substitutes to use their accounts when they are unavailable to work. Concerns have been raised that this practice has allowed underage riders or those without the right to work in the UK to use the platforms.

The delivery companies have stressed that employment checks are carried out on all account holders and couriers are responsible for ensuring any substitute meets the requirements to work for the platforms.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said: “When someone orders a takeaway to their home, they deserve to know that the person arriving at their door has been properly vetted and is who they’re expecting.

“Unchecked account sharing places the public at risk, enables – and therefore encourages – illegal migration, and leads to the exploitation of workers. That’s why I’m calling on these companies to end the use of unverified substitution.

“We’re taking the action needed to safeguard the British public and prevent the scourge of illegal working. It is critical these companies work with us to achieve this.”

Immigration Enforcement teams have already ramped up action to target illegal working in the food delivery sector, conducting more than 250 enforcement visits and making over 380 arrests involving food delivery drivers this year.

In August, an agreement was secured with the businesses to strengthen existing recruitment processes and improve awareness of illegal working in the UK.

A Just Eat spokesperson said: "We are working closely with the government on this issue. At Just Eat, we have high standards and a robust criteria in place for couriers delivering on our behalf. This includes ensuring couriers are over the age of 18, carrying out basic criminal checks (DBS), and making sure they have the right to work in the UK.

“Self-employed independent couriers have the legal right to use a substitute. Under the UK’s employment laws, the courier account-holder is responsible for ensuring their substitute meets the necessary standards to deliver on our network.

"If we find that our high expectations are not met, we will immediately take action, including removing couriers from our network."

A Deliveroo spokesperson said: “All Deliveroo riders must have the right to work in the UK, whether that is someone who holds an account with us or an individual who is subcontracting an account. This is clearly and consistently communicated to all riders.

“Deliveroo takes a zero tolerance approach towards any rider who fails to meet their legal obligations when working with us. If a rider is found to be without the right to work in the UK, we will stop working with them with immediate effect.

“We take our responsibilities extremely seriously. We have introduced facial recognition technology and we continue to work in close collaboration with the relevant authorities to support their efforts in this area.”

A Uber Eats spokesperson said: “We understand that there are concerns around this issue, and we are working closely with the government and want to find a solution. All couriers who use the Uber Eats app must pass a criminal background check, be over the age of 18 and hold a valid right to work in the UK. Any courier that fails to meet these criteria will lose access to the app.”

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