Financial assistance for JUMP Starters during Coronavirus

Updated March 20th, 11:00am PST

Starting today, we are extending our financial assistance policy to those who earn on Uber’s platform as a JUMP Starter and have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed in individual quarantine by a public health authority due to their risk of spreading COVID-19.

Our team remains committed to the safety and well-being of anyone that uses Uber.
As a reminder, you can find resources and regular updates on our response to coronavirus on our blog or our website. 

Q. What is Uber’s financial assistance policy for JUMP Starters who are impacted by COVID-19?

We will provide you with financial assistance for up to 14 days if you actively move scooters or swap bike batteries with JUMP and get diagnosed with COVID-19 or are personally placed in quarantine by a public health authority due to their risk of spreading COVID-19.

The circumstances surrounding COVID-19 are changing rapidly and we expect they will continue to do so over the coming weeks and months ahead. To ensure we are responsive to this reality, this policy is effective until April 6, 2020, at which time we will reassess the situation and release a go-forward policy.

Q: What are the criteria for JUMP Starters to be eligible for this financial assistance?

In order to ensure we can provide support to those who need it most, we will provide financial assistance to you if any of the following happen:

Additionally, you must have completed one task as a JUMP Starter 30 days prior to March 17, 2020, when our financial assistance plan was announced.

Q. How much financial assistance is Uber giving to JUMP Starters?

As a platform for flexible work, some people perform JUMP Starter activity on a regular basis, while others may only do a few pickups, drop offs, or charges over several months. To ensure our financial assistance fairly meets the needs of everyone who uses our platform to earn, the amount of assistance you receive will be based on your average daily earnings since January 5th, 2020. Your average earnings will be based on how much you have earned in the time between your first pickup/dropoff and March 8, 2020.
 
To help understand what this means for you, we’ve broken down an estimate of the financial assistance drivers in San Francisco who had different daily earnings since January 5th, 2020 could expect to receive. The table below show how their varying average daily earnings impacts the amount of financial assistance they would receive:

Every eligible JUMP Starter in the U.S. will receive a minimum payment of $50, even if they have only done one task.

As the example above shows, the flexibility of the JUMP Starter platform means that people who JUMP Start can have dramatically different average daily earnings. We believe this policy lets us fairly support both people who use the platform once in a while to supplement their income, as well as those who primarily rely on our platform to pay their bills.

Q. How do JUMP Starters who believe they are eligible for this financial assistance claim it?

You can submit documentation here. We will work to review and process your request as quickly as we can.


Q: What documentation is Uber requiring to determine eligibility?

In order for Uber to confirm your eligibility, you will need to submit either:

If a public health authority directly notifies Uber that a JUMP Starter has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or otherwise potentially exposed to the virus, we will automatically enroll them in our financial assistance program and they will not have to provide any additional documentation.
 
 
Q: When will JUMP Starters receive assistance if they are found to be eligible?
 
After we confirm eligibility, in most instances you will receive the financial assistance in your account within 2-5 business days. We will work speedily to review and confirm all submitted documentation so that anyone who is eligible receives their assistance as soon as possible.
 
 
Q. How long do eligible JUMP Starters have to register for this financial assistance?
 
You will be able to file a claim for financial assistance for COVID-19 up to 30 days after the date of your diagnosis or the date when your individual quarantine came into effect. Again, this policy is effective until April 6, 2020, at which time we will reassess the situation and release a go-forward policy.
 
  
Q: What will happen to JUMP Starter accounts when they are found to be eligible for financial assistance?
 
If you’re found eligible for assistance, we will temporarily restrict your account access for the same period in which you’re receiving assistance. If your account access is restricted due to a COVID-19 diagnosis or mandated individual quarantine due to your risk of spreading COVID-19, you will be unable to complete pickups, drop offs, or battery swaps during this time in order to limit the risk of transmission to others.
 

Q: What will Uber do for JUMP Starters if a city shuts down Uber’s service?
 
If we were to fully cease operations in a city or country due to COVID-19, we will work with local governments to understand how best to support JUMP Starters. We do not intend for the policy described above to be applicable in any case of a broader suspension of JUMP’s operations in a location or city.
 
The above details summarize our global approach to financial assistance for drivers and delivery people should they become diagnosed with COVID-19 or get placed in individual quarantine by a public health authority. Individual countries may have specific requirements needed to comply with local laws, regulations or business practices on issues such as documentation from medical providers, public health orders, or taxation of financial assistance payments. Specific country requirements are not covered on this site, and the eligibility criteria and assistance details provided below are subject to Uber’s need to make such country-specific adjustments. Given circumstances are changing rapidly, we also may modify this approach, including the amount of assistance given and the criteria, as conditions change.