What happens if I have an accident while working?
Your motor insurance handles the vehicle, provided the policy covers delivery. There is generally no sick pay, which is the risk self-employment carries.
Last checked 12/09/2026.
The vehicle side goes through your motor insurance in the usual way, provided your policy covers delivery work. If it does not, the insurer can decline the claim, which is the reason hire and reward cover matters.
The income side is where self-employment bites. There is no statutory sick pay for a sole trader. If you cannot drive, you do not earn, and there is nothing automatic to fall back on.
You may be able to claim Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit depending on your circumstances, but neither is quick and neither replaces a wage.
Income protection or accident cover is the product that fills this gap. It is worth pricing before you need it rather than after, particularly for anybody driving full time with no other household income.
Report it to the platform as well. Most have a process, and some carry limited accident cover for time spent actually on a delivery.
Related
What is hire and reward insurance?
Cover for carrying goods or passengers for payment. An ordinary social, domestic and pleasure policy does not include it, and delivering without it invalidates the policy.
InsuranceUpdated 20/08/2026
Does my normal car insurance cover delivery work?
No. You need hire and reward cover, and driving without it is an offence.
InsuranceUpdated 19/08/2026
Insurance for delivery drivers: what you actually need
Hire and reward, courier cover, goods in transit and public liability - what each one is for, and why your ordinary car policy will not cover you.
InsuranceUpdated 19/08/2026
Does Deliveroo pay riders when they are ill?
Eligible riders can claim earnings support: 75% of average daily earnings, up to £50 a day for up to 30 days, if illness keeps them off for more than seven days.
Employment rights & legalUpdated 29/09/2026
Riding for Deliveroo: the full guide
How Deliveroo works for a rider: what you need to join, how each fee is worked out, the pay floor agreed with the GMB union, when the money arrives, the insurance Deliveroo gives you for free, and the parts that are left to you.
Getting startedUpdated 29/09/2026
Delivering for Uber Eats: the full guide
How Uber Eats works for a courier: signing up, how each delivery is paid, Quests and batched orders, the weekly pay cycle and the two ways to cash out early, the free Allianz cover, Uber Eats Pro, and the tax side.
Getting startedUpdated 29/09/2026