London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, May 09, 2025

Cost of living: Deliveroo and Uber couriers face uphill struggle

Cost of living: Deliveroo and Uber couriers face uphill struggle

Lots of us have been cutting down on treats as the cost of living has continued to rise.

It's meant luxuries like takeaways have become a rarity for many, and you might be more likely to catch the bus than take a taxi.

And this is having a knock-on effect on the people who'd usually deliver that pizza or drop us off after a night out.

Deliveroo rider Atlanta Martin says she's noticed people ordering less and has had to adapt to limit her costs.

"I delivered in a car for three years and now I've swapped to an e-bike," the 22-year-old says.

"Our pay hasn't gone up, sadly.

"So being on a bike, obviously I'm not spending on fuel, insurance, all of that."

Atlanta started riding in Worthing, near Brighton, during lockdown, sharing her trips on TikTok and YouTube, where she's grown her following to more than 50,000.

"Lockdown was great because it was so busy and the pay was slightly higher then, but it's dropped since," she says.


The TUC estimates more than 4 million people in the UK work in the gig economy

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) estimates that about 4.4 million people in the UK are platform gig economy workers - people who find jobs on apps like Deliveroo and Uber.

One of the main advantages these companies advertise is that working for them is like being your own boss.

You get to choose which jobs you do and when.

It can provide flexibility and you're in control of how much you earn based on how many deliveries or pick-ups you do. At least, that's the theory.

But there is a downside too - workers aren't paid expenses such as fuel, or for the time they spend waiting outside restaurants to pick up your meals.

Often, that can mean what drivers and riders earn falls below the UK National Living Wage, which is currently set at £9.50 an hour.

Atlanta lives with her partner which she said has cushioned the impact of rising prices.

Although her hourly rate can sometimes be as little as £3, she says it often balances out during busier times.

During the World Cup, for example, an increase in demand meant she could earn up to £35 an hour.

"You can make the money, I think you've just got to put in the hours," says Atlanta.

"And being on a bike now, obviously not having the extra expenses, has really made a difference."

Shaf Hussain says couriers have to take more risks to earn the same pay they got last year


Shaf Hussain has been working for Deliveroo and Uber Eats since he was 21, delivering takeaways and shopping.

"Most people, they have fun in their 20s, being like: 'Let's go out partying, let's go enjoy life," says the 28-year-old Londoner.

"I was working as a courier most of my 20s, and now I haven't had a holiday in seven years."

Since the cost-of-living crisis hit, "we're working a lot more for a lot less," he says.

Like Atlanta, he's noticed fewer orders being made, meaning less work is available to him.

Depending on how busy it is, Shaf says he can make anywhere between £6 to £15 an hour, "but there's always a cost for that".

He lives with his parents to save money but hopes to one day soon have a place of his own.

He says he puts pressure on himself to work a lot more - often meaning he has to weigh up his safety and wellbeing against his need for income.

After several accidents over the years, Shaf has avoided working in poor weather.

But, due to rising prices, he's now having to reconsider.

"Working in the snow, working in bad weather conditions is a risk," he says.

"And for us to take a day off, that means the next day we have to then go even harder than what we would normally.

"To take one day off we need to work two days essentially."

Unions want to see greater support for gig economy workers


The TUC and other unions want to see greater protections for workers like Shaf and Atlanta who they say miss out on basic working rights.

These include things like holiday pay, sick pay and pensions.

One of those joining the calls is the IWGB, which describes itself as the union for people in insecure jobs.

It found three quarters of platform gig economy workers were having to increase their working hours due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Its research, based on a small survey of 266 gig workers, suggests that about half of respondents had seen a reduction in their monthly pay.

Among those who responded, some said they were earning hundreds of pounds less each month.

The TUC says it is difficult to obtain data about gig economy workers because they're described as self-employed, making understanding the problems facing the workforce a challenge.

Deliveroo says there has been a small decline in the number of orders on the app towards the end of 2022.

Shaf and Atlanta both say on their current pay they'd struggle to afford to live on their own, but neither plan to leave the industry any time soon.

Last year, some couriers held a demonstration calling for better pay and safety and Deliveroo responded to say the vast majority were happy with the firm.

A spokesperson told BBC Newsbeat it was proud to offer flexible work to 90,000 riders in the UK and that it had recently signed an agreement with the GMB Union to guarantee riders the national living wage.

The BBC also contacted Uber, which said the "vast majority" if its couriers were satisfied with their experience on the app.

"However we regularly engage with couriers to look at how we can improve their experience," the company added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
Pakistani migrants to Danish man: “ “We have 5 children while you have 1 or 2. In 10 years, there will be more Pakistanis than Danes here.“
Clashes Erupt in London as Tensions Rise Between Indian and Pakistani Communities
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
How do you fix this culture?
×