Are Deliveroo riders self-employed?

Yes. In November 2023 the Supreme Court ruled that Deliveroo riders are not workers, largely because of the substitution right - a rider can send someone else to do the job. That closed a case the IWGB union had run for several years.

The practical effect is that Deliveroo riders have no statutory holiday pay, no statutory minimum wage and no collective bargaining rights through that route. Deliveroo does have a voluntary agreement with the GMB union that sets a minimum fee per hour of estimated order time, and it provides free accident and illness cover. You are self-employed, you file a Self Assessment return, and you claim your own mileage and expenses.

This is the opposite result to the Uber private hire case in 2021, and the difference is the substitution right rather than anything about food versus passengers. Check your employment status (opens in a new tab).