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Have You Seen The Black Car Fund (or BCF) Fee on Your Uber or Lyft Pay Stub?
It’s not a NYS or NYC tax, not a service charge, and not a platform charge, so what is it?
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The following is a guest post from Drivers Benefits
Have you seen The Black Car Fund (or BCF) fee on your Uber or Lyft pay stub?
It’s not the NYS tax, not a service charge, and not a platform charge, so what is it?
The Black Car Fund was founded by New York State in 1999 to provide Black Car drivers with workers’ compensation benefits.
When apps like Uber and Lyft came to New York, they were included in The Black Car Fund because they’re structured like traditional Black Car bases (operating off credit and not cash).
The benefits are paid for by passengers, who are charged a 3% fee on every ride. That money passes through an NYC TLC driver’s account before it’s added to The Black Car Fund.
That means that NYC Uber and Lyft drivers can tap into The Black Car Fund too, but not just for workers’ compensation. In 2019, The Black Car fund created Driver Benefits, a free program for drivers, to offer additional benefits including:
Dental Insurance 🦷
Vision Coverage 👓
Free Telemedicine 🩺
Urgent Care and Prescription Discounts 💊
Workers’ compensation if you’re involved in an accident on the job 🤕
Drivers Benefits also partners with the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG) to provide additional benefits, including:
Free Flu Shots (until March 1, 2022)
Help with tickets, housing issues, immigration, and other legal matters
Healthcare Enrollment
IDG Mental Health and Wellness Program
Should you sign up?
Since the Drivers Benefits program is paid for by The Black Car Fund, there’s no real downside to signing up. You choose what benefits you want to use, and you can even use them in addition to health insurance (if you have it). In fact, if you don’t have health insurance, Drivers Benefits can screen you and your family for free or low-cost healthcare.
Right now, Drivers Benefits is also offering free flu shots to all their members through the IDG. Basically, if you sign up, you’ll be emailed a voucher that covers the whole cost of a flu shot at any Walgreens or Duane Reade location.
But, of course, the best way to decide if signing up for Drivers Benefits is right for you is to hear from someone who’s already a member. Here’s a testimonial from a Drivers Benefits member about his experience using the free Telemedicine service:
Joining Drivers Benefits is an easy way to have extra resources in your back pocket if you ever need to quickly talk to a doctor, consult a lawyer, or get a free eye exam. There aren’t many free resources out there, so take advantage of Drivers Benefits.
You can contact Drivers Benefits at help@driversbenefits.org or 1-833-814-8590 if you have any questions