Drivers Benefits
This is the French version
Am I a Black Car driver?
If you don’t accept cash from your passengers, then yes, whether you drive for a rideshare app like Lyft, Uber, or Via or a traditional Black Car base such as Vital, you’re a Black Car driver.
Will I get charged for signing up? This sounds like a scam…
No, most of the benefits are free and we won’t ask for your credit card. We know it sounds too good to be true, but you can see for yourself by checking out our Facebook page or getting your free eye exam and glasses in our Vision Van, which is usually in the JFK Cell Phone Lot. (Please note, as of March 2020 the Vision Van is out of service due to COVID-19 to protect the safety of our drivers and staff).
Do these benefits replace my regular health insurance?
No, but we do want to make your life easier and safer. Think of us as your sidekick that gives you extra perks, like helping you get paid $450 to take driving and health classes.
Why do I qualify for these benefits? And who is paying?
Your hard work makes the benefits possible. A 2.5% passenger surcharge on each ride goes to The Black Car Fund so you can receive:
- Support if you’re injured on the job.
- Free 24/7 access to doctors by phone or video chat for you and your family.
- Free eyeglasses. (Currently on hold as of November 2020)
- Driving and health classes.
The Independent Drivers Guild provides other benefits:
- Savings on prescriptions.
- Low-cost help with TLC and traffic tickets.
- Representation for you and 65,000 of your peers!
Learn How to Get Your Drivers Benefits
Who is eligible for Drivers Benefits?
All drivers for New York Black Car services like Lyft, Uber, Via, and traditional services such as Vital, receive free and discounted benefits from The Black Car Fund and the Independent Drivers Guild. Most of the benefits are funded by a 2.5% surcharge that passengers pay to The Black Car Fund. Our priority is serving drivers. One of our responsibilities is ensuring that the benefits are only extended to those drivers whose hard work resulted in the funds.
How do I gain access to my benefits?
In order to use your benefits we need to know your first and last name, email address, phone number, date of birth, gender, address, a TLC or driver’s license, and which base you work for.
If you haven’t filled out the form, do so here. If you have already filled out the form and are seeing this page it’s probably because we are missing or have an incorrect TLC or driver’s license number for you.
If you drive in NYC and have a TLC license…
Your TLC license number will connect you with your benefits
A driver’s TLC license is the main way we link you to your benefits. Some drivers have multiple phone numbers and email addresses, but you only have one TLC license. Therefore, it’s important that Drivers Benefits has the correct one for you. Send your TLC license number to paloma@driversbenefits.org.
Please Note – we need the number on your TLC license card, not the number from the license plate on your car.
Ride-share drivers who pick up in New York City are required to have a special license from the Taxi and Limousine Commission. All drivers in New York state are eligible for benefits even if they don’t have a TLC. Since there are more New York drivers with TLC licenses we use this as the main way to confirm members status as an active driver.
I don’t have a TLC License – what do I do?
As long as you regularly drive in New York state you can be a member too! See below how to verify your status as a driver.
If you drive in New York and don’t have a TLC license…
Your driver’s license number will connect you with your benefits
Don’t worry, as long as you drive for Uber, Lyft, Via or a traditional Black Car service like Vital in New York you qualify for Drivers Benefits! If you don’t have a TLC license we will use your driver’s license number to connect you with your benefits.
Send your driver’s license to paloma@driversbenefits.org. You can send a photo of it or just the identification number.
In addition, we’ll need proof that you are currently an active driver in New York state.
In order to verify that you’re an active driver send proof of your latest ride to paloma@driversbenefits.org. If you drive for Uber, Lyft, or another New York app-company you can send a screenshot of your latest ride that started in New York.
Not a driver for Lyft or Uber but drive for another New York Black Car base?
Drivers Benefits are available to all drivers who are a part of Black Car member services. Email paloma@driversbenefits.org with the name of the base you work for and we will make sure you get your benefits.
Facts you should know
As you may know, The Black Car Fund provides drivers in the black car industry with workers’ compensation benefits. In order to help its covered drivers stay healthy and reduce accidents that lead to injuries The Black Car Fund is sponsoring this Program for the purposes of injury and medical claims reduction. The Program is provided to you as a driver covered by the Black Car Fund and is not intended to provide you with any rights of employment or to otherwise affect your status as an independent contractor with respect to the Black Car Fund or with the dispatch base you are affiliated with. While we hope you will participate in the Program, the Program is entirely voluntary and you are not required to participate. If you are an employee driver, this Program is not sponsored or endorsed by your employer. The Program is not intended to be covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”). If you register for the telemedicine benefits available under the Program, you may become ineligible to contribute to a health savings account. Consult with your tax advisor for more information. The Black Car Fund reserves the right to revise or terminate this Program in whole or in part at any time, and for any reason.
The Black Car Fund is a non-profit organization created by New York State to provide workers compensation insurance to black car and luxury limousine drivers who perform work in affiliation with The Black Car Fund’s member dispatch bases.
We also provide safety and health programs that benefit for-hire drivers.
The Independent Drivers Guild is a Machinists Union affiliate that represents over 65,000 for-hire vehicle drivers in New York City. The IDG is the first nonprofit labor organization to negotiate a seat at the table with a rideshare company and the first to offer crucial new protections and essential benefits while building worker power.
The IDG Benefits Fund helps New York drivers working for Black Car services get access to benefits. We are a sister organization to the Independent Drivers Guild. We have partnered with both The Black Car Fund and the Independent Drivers Guild to arrange this suite of benefits for New York state’s Black Car service drivers.