If you’re thinking of starting out as an Uber Eats driver, you might be wondering what insurance you need for food delivery work. It’s a question we hear a lot.
Well, you’re in the right place. This comprehensive guide covers all the types of insurance you’ll need for Uber Eats while working as a food delivery driver.
Let’s get started.
Types of insurance required for food delivery work
Social, domestic and pleasure (SD&P) insurance
This is the standard level of car insurance required for any vehicle on UK roads. It covers you for personal driving and non-work-related use, so you’ll need this to keep you covered before, between and after each shift.
Hire and reward (H&R) insurance
This is the important one. To legally deliver food, parcels or passengers in exchange for money in the UK, you need a hire and reward insurance policy. It’s a type of commercial motor insurance that covers you and your vehicle while you’re making deliveries.
This type of policy can be combined with your SD&P insurance, so that you’re covered for both personal and delivery driving.
Hire and reward insurance usually comes in three different levels of coverage:
- Third Party Only (TPO) – covers damage to other people’s vehicles, but not yours.
- Third Party, Fire and Theft (TPFT) – covers you for fire damage or the theft of your vehicle, plus damage to third party vehicles.
- Comprehensive – this is the highest level of cover; it protects other people’s vehicles, plus you and your vehicle.
Other insurance policies to consider
Goods in transit insurance
Although not typically required for food delivery drivers, this insurance covers compensation costs and legal fees if the goods you're delivering are lost, stolen, or damaged. If you also plan to work as a van courier delivering more expensive products, you may need goods in transit insurance.
Public liability insurance
This insurance covers you if someone gets injured or killed in an accident you caused, or their property gets lost or damaged. Some employers, such as Deliveroo, provide public liability insurance as standard for some delivery workers.
Personal accident insurance
This type of cover can help with lost income and medical costs if you're accidentally injured or become ill. Again, some employers will provide personal injury protection as standard.
Food delivery insurance costs
Food delivery insurance tends to be more expensive than personal car insurance. That’s because, as a delivery driver, your risk of getting in an accident is higher.
As a delivery driver, you’ll be working in busy locations during some of the busiest times of day. And, occasionally, you may also be driving under some time pressure. So the risk of being involved in a road traffic accident is higher.
The actual cost of food delivery insurance depends on a few things, like where you’re located, your working hours, your vehicle, the level of cover and your personal driving history.
Flexible insurance for food delivery drivers
Some insurers offer tailored packages to suit the way you work as a food delivery driver. And we’re one of them!
With Zego, you get to choose food delivery insurance by the hour (pay-as-you-go), by the month (30-day), or by the year (annual).
Pay-as-you-go insurance
Our most flexible food delivery policy allows you to pay for your hire and reward (H&R) cover only when you need it. This policy is charged by the hour, and covers you for all your delivery work (but you’ll need an existing personal SD&P policy to run alongside it). On average, drivers with a good driving record can expect to pay from £0.80p per hour.
30-day insurance
Get hassle-free cover without any long-term commitment. Expect to pay from around £122 per month for hire and reward (H&R) only, and from £98 per month for combined cover (H&R plus SD&P), which covers you for both deliveries and personal driving.
Annual insurance
Get complete peace of mind with our annual policy, which covers you for a whole year of delivery work and personal driving. This is typically the most cost-effective option for full-time drivers, with prices starting from £1,023 per year.
We partner with some of the biggest delivery companies out there, including Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat. Depending on the level of cover you have, you can choose to work with:
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Zego Flex (pay-as-you-go) pricing work?
Our pay-as-you-go delivery insurance charges you by the minute, with a minimum of one hour's cover.
Once you start your shift and accept a job with any of our delivery partners, your insurance session will begin. After an hour has passed, we’ll check to see if you're still delivering. If you’re still working, you’ll be charged by the minute until you finish your shift.
If you stop delivering for more than 10 minutes, your current pay-as-you-go insurance session will end, and the Zego Flex app will deduct the cost from your balance.
What insurance do I need for Just Eat?
For Just Eat deliveries, you’ll need hire and reward (H&R) insurance — it’s a legal requirement for anyone who delivers food in exchange for money in the UK. This type of insurance can be combined with social, domestic and pleasure (SD&P) car insurance, so that you’re covered for everyday use and delivery work.
What insurance do I need for Deliveroo?
For Deliveroo deliveries, you’ll also need hire and reward insurance. As mentioned above, this insurance should be combined with SD&P insurance so that you’re fully covered for work and personal driving.
Can I deliver for Just Eat and Uber Eats with the same insurance?
Yes, you can deliver for both Just Eat and Uber Eats with the same policy, as long as your hire and reward insurance covers you for working with multiple delivery platforms.
Can you do deliveries with normal insurance?
No, you can’t make deliveries with your normal motor insurance (known as social, domestic and pleasure, or SD&P). You’ll need a hire and reward (H&R) insurance policy that covers you for food delivery work.
In most cases, you’ll need both SD&P and H&R insurance for your vehicle (or an all-in-one combined policy), so that you’re covered at all times — before, during and after each shift.
