Drivers Benefits
Drivers Benefits’ mission is to help drivers for Black Car services* in New York State get the benefits they deserve by working with the Independent Drivers Guild and The Black Car Fund.
Drivers Benefits’ mission is to help drivers for Black Car services* in New York State get the benefits they deserve by working with the Independent Drivers Guild and The Black Car Fund.
Whether you drive for a rideshare company like Lyft or Uber, or for the more traditional Black Car bases in the industry, if you don’t accept cash from your passengers, then yes, you’re a driver for a Black Car service — and we are here for you!
There is NO COST TO YOU to sign up, and we won’t ask for your credit card. We know it sounds too good to be true, but the health benefit program is paid for by The Black Car Fund, using a portion of the surcharge that passengers pay on each ride. You will have access to these benefits if you drive for a Black Car service and meet the eligibility requirements listed below.
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 as much as $450 from The Black Car Fund to take driving and health classes.
Your hard work makes the benefits possible, but the cost of the benefits is NOT paid for by drivers. The surcharge paid by passengers** on each ride goes into The Black Car Fund so that eligible drivers for Black Car services can receive:
**Note: While the passenger surcharge may appear on your paycheck as a deduction, it does not come out of your pay. The surcharge is paid for by passengers as a part of their full fare.
The Independent Drivers Guild, our affiliate, provides other Drivers Benefits that are not funded by the Black Car Fund, including:
Who is eligible for Drivers Benefits?
Not every driver for a Black Car service is eligible for all Drivers Benefits. Drivers who meet a minimum hourly threshold in New York State are eligible for the Drivers Health Benefit Program, paid for by The Black Car Fund.
For 2023, an eligible driver is either: (i) a driver who is registered with the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (NYC TLC) as a driver for a Black Car service and in the prior calendar year has provided service to passengers averaging at least 10 hours per week during the most recent available calendar quarter, with such hours measured from the time a passenger enters a vehicle until such passenger exits the same vehicle, or (ii) a driver not registered with the NYC TLC and who qualifies as a Transportation Network Company (TNC) or is affiliated with a dispatch base that is a member of The Black Car Fund and in the prior calendar year has received gross income of at least $4,000 during the most recent available calendar quarter from the provision of service to passengers in the State of New York. Gross revenue is to be determined based on income that will be reported on a driver’s Form 1099.
These eligibility standards may be changed by The Black Car Fund upon at least 30 days’ notice.
How do I gain access to my benefits?
To access 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 are affiliated with.
If you haven’t filled out the form, do so here. If you have already enrolled, access your benefits here.
Your TLC license number will connect you with your benefits, if you meet the eligibility requirements listed above.
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 help@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. Drivers in New York State can be eligible for benefits even if they don’t have a TLC license. Since there are more New York drivers with TLC licenses we use this as the main way to confirm an enrolled drivers status as an active driver.
As long as you regularly drive in New York State and meet the eligibility criteria you can be an enrolled driver too! See below for how to verify your status as a driver.
Your driver’s license number will connect you with your benefits.
Don’t worry, as long as you drive for Uber, Lyft, or the more traditional Black Car bases in the industry 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 number to help@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 help@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 is available to all drivers who are affiliated with a Black Car member base and meet the eligibility requirements. Email help@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. 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”). 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.
