Extended Deadline for Eligible Drivers to Get Benefits and Back Pay Compensation
New York, New York (WNY News Now)Current and former Uber and Lyft drivers who feel they were underpaid are being urged to submit claims for their portion of a $328 million settlement by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The extended filing deadline is January 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
NEW YORK In order to obtain the money they are entitled to under settlements negotiated by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), New York Attorney General Letitia James today urged rideshare drivers who feel they were underpaid by Uber and Lyft to file claims by January 31, 2025, at the latest. Following an OAG investigation that revealed Uber and Lyft had withheld money from drivers and had failed to offer significant incentives, Attorney General James obtained $328 million in back payments for drivers in November 2023. Attorney General James is now encouraging all rideshare drivers to verify their eligibility and submit an online claim before the deadline, which has been extended to January 31, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
Attorney General James stated that drivers of ridesharing services contribute to the smooth operation of New York and should be fully compensated for their labor. I’m honored to have reached this historic agreement with Uber and Lyft and to be giving the money back to the drivers who earned it. In order to receive their money back before the deadline of January 31, 2025, I strongly advise any Uber or Lyft driver who thinks they might qualify to submit a claim right away. My office will never let up on getting New York workers the respect, benefits, and pay they deserve.
In addition to establishing a minimum driver earnings floor, paid sick leave, appropriate hiring and earnings notices, and other improvements in drivers’ working conditions, Attorney General James negotiated a historic settlement with Uber and Lyft that included $290 million and $38 million. The settlement monies, which are being disbursed exclusively to current and former drivers, may be available to New Yorkers who worked as drivers for Uber from 2014 to 2017 or Lyft from 2015 to 2017. Drivers are urged to submit an online claim as soon as possible if they believe they might qualify and have not yet done so, or if they have already submitted a claim but have not received a response.
Uber withheld sales taxes and Black Car Fund fees from drivers’ paychecks between 2014 and 2017, even though passengers were supposed to pay these taxes and fees. Uber misrepresented the deductions made to drivers in their terms of service, claiming that drivers could charge [the passenger] for any tolls, taxes, or fees they incurred and that Uber would only deduct its commission from their fare. However, the Uber Driver app never offered a way for drivers to do this. From 2015 until 2017, Lyft used a similar strategy to shortchange drivers by withholding an administrative fee of 11.4 percent from drivers’ compensation in New York, which was equivalent to the amount of sales tax and Black Car Fund fees that riders were supposed to pay. Additionally, Uber and Lyft did not offer drivers the paid sick leave that is permitted for workers under New York City and New York state law.
Attorney General James mandated that Uber and Lyft implement an earnings floor, ensuring that drivers throughout the state get a minimum rate from dispatch to the finish of the ride, in addition to providing $328 million in back pay to former drivers. For the first time, the thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers who operate mostly outside of New York City are guaranteed minimum pay, with drivers outside of the city now receiving a minimum of $26 per hour, increased annually for inflation.
Additionally, drivers for Uber and Lyft are now guaranteed paid sick leave, with the potential to earn up to 56 hours of sick pay year, or one hour for every 30 hours worked. Additionally, the companies are required to give drivers formal recruiting notices and earnings summaries, offer in-app chat help for drivers in numerous languages, and inform drivers of the amount paid by the customer after each journey. Additionally, all deactivations from the Uber and Lyft platforms can now be appealed by drivers.
Thanks to these historic agreements, almost 100,000 drivers in New York are eligible to collect settlement monies and benefits. More than 88,000 claims had been submitted as of December 18. Drivers can access the Uber or Lyft settlement portals to submit a backpay claim.
Anyone having trouble submitting a claim should get in touch with Rust Consulting directly. Drivers can reach out to [email protected] or 1-800-625-2332 with inquiries regarding the Uber settlement.and drivers can reach out to [email protected] or 1-800-433-5314 with inquiries on the Lyft settlement.
Drivers can also reach the New York Taxi Workers Alliance at [email protected] or (718) 706-9892 for information on the settlements.
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