The Drivers Benefits program — a collaboration between NY’s The Black Car Fund and the Independent Drivers Guild — has signed up 50,000 professional drivers in just 6 years, who are now eligible for an accident disability insurance plan, personal accident insurance, critical illness insurance, a mental health and wellness program, and workers compensation insurance at no cost

Program participants also receive dental and vision coverage, plus deep discounts on prescriptions, urgent care and diagnostic imaging

New York, NY –  On Saturday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined the Independent Drivers Guild, the Black Car Fund, Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Do and thousands of the city’s Uber, Lyft, and for-hire vehicle drivers and their families to celebrate a landmark victory in delivering benefits and protections to these workers.  A nation-leading program to deliver a bevy of benefits to for-hire drivers in New York at no cost has exploded in popularity, surpassing 50,000 members in just six years, the mayor announced with driver advocates today. No other state or city in America has such an expansive program for gig economy workers.

Mayor Adams was a leading advocate for the creation of the Drivers Benefits program and participated in the benefits announcement at the Independent Drivers Guild’s Driver Appreciation and Family Day at Corona Park in Queens, the largest annual gathering of the city’s professional for-hire vehicle drivers. Previously, Mayor Adams also made history by increasing wages for the city’s 90,000 for-hire vehicle drivers and 65,000 delivery workers.

The Drivers Benefits program — a collaboration between New York’s Black Car Fund and the Independent Drivers Guild — provides an accident disability insurance plan, personal accident insurance, critical illness insurance, and a $100,000 accidental death benefit. Those who sign up for the program also have access to dental, vision and telemedicine coverage, a mental health and wellness program, plus deep discounts on prescriptions, urgent care and diagnostic testing. Enrolling in the program is free and all the benefits are provided to qualified drivers throughout the state at no cost to them.  Eligible NY drivers can enroll at DriversBenefits.org.

“This administration is committed to honoring the service of our for-hire drivers and delivery workers, who are the backbone of our city,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “That’s why our administration has increased wages for tens of thousands of drivers, fought companies denying them fair pay, and made it easier for these workers to operate their own businesses. And we won’t stand for companies that try to evade the law and lock out workers from earning the living they deserve — we will hold them accountable for their wrongdoings, and we will always fight for our for-hire drivers and delivery workers. Thank you to the Black Car Fund and the Independent Drivers Guild for their groundbreaking work.”

“Making the city more affordable for working people is a key goal of this administration, and the rapid rise of the Driver’s Benefits program is an example of what two organizations dedicated to improving the lives of hardworking drivers can do when they work together,” said Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Do. “This collaboration between the Independent Drivers Guild and the Black Car Fund not only helps drivers and their families, it makes our city our safer because healthy, happy drivers who don’t have to burn the candle at both ends to meet  basic needs are safe drivers.”

More than 57,000 dental procedures have been performed through the program, approximately 9,000 pairs of eyeglasses have been distributed and 12,000 mental health visits have already been arranged for drivers so far as part of the program’s dozen different benefits. The Black Car Fund – which pays for the benefits and separately offers workers’ compensation benefits, $300 to any driver who takes their defensive driving course and paid wellness courses – is funded by a 2.75% surcharge paid for by the passengers of Uber, Lyft and traditional black car companies. The surcharge is not taken out of drivers’ pay, and the benefits are available for any eligible drivers who sign up.

A summary of the benefits can be found here: https://ny.driversbenefits.org/ 

“As we celebrate our twenty-fifth anniversary, we are excited to be celebrating another incredible milestone; surpassing fifty thousand enrolled drivers in our Drivers Benefits program. This achievement is a testament to our unwavering commitment to protecting and enhancing the safety, health and well-being of the drivers we cover,” said Ira Goldstein, Executive Director of the Black Car Fund. “As independent contractors, black car drivers in New York have never been more protected than they are now, both on and off the job. Thank you to our dedicated team and our partners who have made this possible for the tens of thousands of drivers who trust and rely on us. And a very big thank you to Mayor Adams for joining us in this announcement and always being a supporter of the work we do.”

“Twenty-five years ago, The Black Car Fund revolutionized workers’ compensation for independent contractors, and now we’re once again setting a nationwide example of what can be achieved and provided to these workers,” said Berj Haroutunian, Executive Chairman of the Black Car Fund. “From off-the-job income protection, to one of the best dental insurance benefits I’ve ever seen, our Drivers Benefits program is making a meaningful impact in the lives and health of the drivers who keep New York moving. I am grateful to Mayor Adams for recognizing our efforts today and I looking forward to what we can achieve in the next twenty five years.”

“Together, we have delivered valuable and unprecedented benefits to more than fifty thousand for-hire vehicle drivers who keep New York moving. This hard fought victory was sorely needed for a workforce that suffered decades of mistreatment. When workers come together and organize for change, there is nothing we can’t achieve.” said Brendan Sexton, President of theIndependent Drivers Guild. “We want to thank Mayor Adams for championing these critical and truly life altering benefits for drivers as well as fighting for fair pay from Uber and Lyft. We have set the standard in New York with our city and state partners and will continue to be at the forefront of delivering for drivers.”

“It’s truly rewarding to partner with organizations who are so focused on improving the lives of some of New York’s most vulnerable workers.  This program delivers health, wellness and coordinated care to hardworking people who fall short of getting benefits from the traditional, employer-sponsored model.  We are so very proud of what’s been accomplished here.” said Nick Abramovich, CEO of the Worker Benefits Fund.

“Before these benefits, I went years between eye exams even though I was losing my vision, because it’s expensive to get glasses. With Drivers Benefits, they come to the airport ride-hail lot where we are waiting anyway and you can get your eye exam right there on the spot and get glasses at no cost. I get my eyes checked every year now,” said Sonam Lama, a Woodside, Queens-based member of the Independent Drivers Guild who has been driving for Uber and Lyft since 2016. “The Drivers Benefits program has been amazing and really important to me and thousands of drivers like me, from taking care of everyday health needs to paying for hospital bills or supporting your family in a crisis. Thank you to the Mayor for helping us fight for these benefits to get the care we need.”

“I got cancer, doctor told me that I have 80 percent chance of end of my life if I don’t start the therapy right away. So, at the time I was having the procedures at the Presbyterian hospital, I was almost hopeless,” shared a Drivers Benefits enrolled driver who wished to remain anonymous. “I just contacted the Drivers Benefits and I found there is a critical illness covered benefit. I just tried applying and then I didn’t expect I could get the money for anything. I didn’t expect anything, but right after the day I was discharged from the hospital, money was in my account, so I was feeling like I’m so blessed or something.”

To be eligible for Black Car Fund benefits, drivers must be: registered with the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (NYC TLC) as a black car driver, and have provided service to passengers averaging at least 10 hours per week during the most recent calendar quarter; or, if not registered with the NYC TLC, qualified as a Transportation Network Company (TNC) driver or is affiliated with a qualified dispatch base and who has received verifiable gross income of at least $4,000 per quarter from serving passengers in the State of New York.

About the Black Car Fund

The New York Black Car Operators’ Injury Compensation Fund, Inc. — otherwise known as The Black Car Fund, The Fund, or BCF — was created for the purpose of providing workers’ compensation coverage to Black Car Operators in the State of New York. The BCF was formed by state statute in 1999, and began issuing coverage in 2000. It is the nation’s only fully self-funded, self-insured and self-administered non-profit workers’ compensation provider.

BCF has more than 500 Member Bases throughout the State of New York and provides coverage to approximately 125,000 Drivers. The Black Car Fund is funded entirely by passengers in the form of a 2.75% surcharge per ride.

About the Independent Drivers Guild

The Independent Drivers Guild is the nation’s largest rideshare driver advocacy group that represents and advocates for more than 300,000 drivers across the northeast, IL and FL. We are Uber and Lyft drivers united for a more fair industry. The Guild’s organizing has secured landmark victories that put billions of dollars in the pockets of drivers, including requiring a tipping option in the Uber app and winning the nation’s first livable minimum wage for rideshare drivers in New York City.  The Drivers Guild is a non-profit worker center affiliated with the Machinists Union, an AFL-CIO member union, which has represented for-hire vehicle (FHV) drivers for more than twenty-five years.

The Drivers Guild and Machinists Union have led the nation in advocating for benefits and protections for FHV drivers. In 1999, the Machinists Union advocated to create the Black Car Fund, establishing a workers’ compensation fund for New York’s for-hire vehicle drivers. In 2016, the Machinists helped drivers form the Independent Drivers Guild which has successfully advocated for and won a series of new protections and benefits through the program, including free vision, dental, health clinics, telemedicine, disability insurance and the Guild’s mental health counseling program, developed specifically for FHV drivers in response to New York’s driver suicide crisis. 

About Workers Benefit Fund.

The Workers Benefit Fund (WBF) is dedicated to improving healthcare access and outcomes for working families in underserved communities across the nation. Their mission encompasses recruiting and enrolling non-traditional workers, providing comprehensive education and coordinated care, and delivering community-based healthcare services. WBF breaks barriers to healthcare for low-income families with multilingual support, streamlined technology, and community engagement. They leverage data and analytics to enhance programs ensuring better health outcomes and partner with organizations to offer benefits and healthcare to non-traditional workers, including mobile medical units and mental health services.