Uber and Lyft drivers are hitting a wall in their efforts to apply for the coronavirus jobless benefits promised by Congress as state agencies say they are not ready to handle a class of workers who are totally new to the U.S. unemployment system.
FILE PHOTO: Uber and Lyft driver Adama Fofana, who says he and other drivers he knows have"fear in their stomachs" about contracting the coronavirus disease while working, but cannot cut their hours because they need the income to survive, sprays disinfectant in his car in New York City, New York, U.S., March 9, 2020. REUTERS/Joe Penney - RC2QLF94E5T2/File Photo
Gail Nappier, a 63-year-old Lyft driver from Boston, said her income has dropped to around $20 per day, from roughly $180 before the crisis, with only one or two rides per day. She has to worry about her own safety, too. State agencies are being overwhelmed by applications for unemployment pay, with a record number of 10 million Americans filing for assistance in the past two weeks.
Uber Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi had urged Trump to include contract workers for unemployment benefits in the historic $2.3 trillion package. Lyft said it was working to make it easy for its drivers to get the information they need to receive benefits, including through conference calls, text messages and blog posts. Lyft said it would continue to provide information as it becomes available from the government.
FILE PHOTO: Uber and Lyft signs are seen on a car in Redondo Beach, California, U.S., March 25, 2019. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
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