By NEW DELHI: Gig and platform workers will be required to work for at least 90 days in a financial year with a single aggregator to qualify for social security benefits under the proposed Social Security Code, according to draft rules released for public feedback. For workers associated with multiple aggregators, the eligibility threshold has been set at 120 days.
Under the draft rules, a gig or platform worker will be considered “engaged” from the day they begin earning income, irrespective of the amount earned. If a worker is linked to more than one aggregator, the total number of working days will be calculated cumulatively across all platforms. Notably, engagement with multiple aggregators on the same day will be counted separately for each platform.
The rules further clarify that eligible gig and platform workers include those engaged directly by an aggregator as well as those working through associate companies, subsidiaries, limited liability partnerships, or third-party service providers.
As mandated by the new labour codes, gig workers will be entitled to social security benefits such as health insurance, life insurance, and personal accident cover, along with other welfare measures that the government may introduce. The labour ministry has already begun registering gig workers on the e-Shram portal, and eligible workers will be covered under the Ayushman Bharat health scheme. They may also become eligible for pension benefits in the future, based on contributions from both platforms and workers.
According to the draft rules, all gig and platform workers above the age of 16 must complete Aadhaar-linked registration. Aggregators will be required to share worker details on a central government portal to generate a universal account number, unless the worker is already registered. Every eligible registered worker will also be issued an identity card, either in digital or physical form.
The draft notification also outlines the proposed structure of the National Social Security Board, which will be responsible for estimating the number of gig and platform workers, identifying emerging types of aggregators, and framing welfare policies. The board will include five government-nominated representatives each from associations of unorganised sector workers and employers.
Gig and platform workers will cease to be eligible for social security benefits upon reaching the age of 60, or if they fail to meet the minimum engagement requirement of 90 days with a single aggregator, or 120 days across multiple aggregators, in the preceding financial year.
