An update on COVID-19 financial assistance

As of August 27, 2021, we are no longer taking applications for the COVID financial assistance policy. For additional resources and other safety information, please visit our COVID resources page.

The last few weeks have been hard for everyone. But we know they have been particularly tough for drivers like you.

To help keep you safe, we’ve begun distributing free disinfectants to drivers, and we’ve purchased tens of millions of earloop face masks. Availability is limited, but we’re working hard to get these supplies to drivers, starting with cities in the most need. We also launched COVID-19 Hub, an in-app resource center dedicated to safety information and updates from us.

Over the last month, we’ve provided financial assistance to drivers diagnosed with COVID-19 or ordered to self-quarantine or self-isolate by a doctor or public health authority. We moved quickly to announce this policy, even though acting quickly meant moving forward with limited information because we believed the most important thing to do was to provide support as soon as possible. 

Since then, many of you have told us that the policy we originally launched supported too few drivers and the process to get funds has been complicated and confusing. Today we’re revising our policy in 2 ways:

1. We are focusing our assistance on those of you who are still actively driving during this crisis.

2. We are expanding eligibility to include drivers who have been told to individually quarantine because they have preexisting conditions that put them at a higher risk of suffering serious illness from COVID-19. Because this will mean more people are eligible than under the old policy, we’ve chosen to establish a maximum per-person payment to make this new policy more sustainable.

The new policy is in effect for all active drivers in Uganda starting today. If you are a driver under a fleet partner, the financial assistance will be paid to the fleet partner’s account. You will have to ask your fleet partner to transfer this amount to you. 

Applying for assistance under the new policy

To be eligible, you must provide written documentation from a licensed doctor or government public health official showing that:
You have an active case of COVID-19; or
You were individually ordered to self-quarantine because you’re suspected to have an active case of COVID-19; or
You were individually ordered to self-quarantine because you have preexisting health conditions that put you at higher risk of serious illness due to COVID-19

Instructions on how to apply for financial assistance are here. We’ll aim to process your request within 7 business days. Before you apply, please carefully review all the requirements listed in the site linked above. When you apply, your Uber account will be temporarily put on hold as a safety measure to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Even though your account is on hold, we’ll still need to review your application to determine if you qualify for financial assistance. 

How our financial assistance policy is changing 

We know that establishing a maximum payment per person means some of the most active drivers will receive less than what they typically earned before COVID-19 was widespread. But by expanding eligibility, we hope this assistance can provide a modest form of relief for more drivers, couriers and their families.

Please note, we will also continue our policy of giving you a minimum payment of UGX 40,000 if you drive in Uganda even if you have only done one trip in the 30 days prior to your application. 

As our communities face a crisis unlike anything we’ve seen in generations, you are doing essential work, and we are committed to supporting you. We are learning as we go. Because we can’t predict what another month will bring, we will continue to listen, act on feedback, and regularly review our financial assistance policy for changes.

The details above summarize our global approach to financial assistance for drivers 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 above are subject to Uber’s need to make such country-specific adjustments. Given that circumstances are changing rapidly, we also may modify this approach, including the amount of assistance given and the criteria, as conditions change.