We Are England S2022E78 - Serving England Life in the Fast-Food Line

Bassam, Henry and Viktória all rely on food courier work to financially support them, and lift the lid on how hard it is to earn a living in this fast-growing industry.

In England and Wales, 4.4 million people work on gig economy platforms at least once a week, with many of those working on the fast-food delivery platforms we all use. Like Bassam, 18.3% of gig economy workers rely on this type of work as their primary source of income. Most food couriers are self-employed and are paid for each delivery they make, so the more orders they deliver, the more money they make.

In Liverpool, Henry works as a food delivery cyclist. Despite already having a full-time apprentice job, he puts in extra work during the evening as a courier to top up his wages. He is one of 1.2 million people in the UK who have a second job.

Despite the majority of couriers being self-employed, in Manchester Viktória works for an organisation who do things a little bit differently. As an employee of the delivery firm, she is paid a guaranteed wage of £10-an-hour. She can also earn more if the value of her orders tots up to more than her hourly wage.