Centre Proposes 90-Day Rule for Gig Workers’ Social Security Eligibility

The Union government has proposed clearer eligibility norms for extending social security coverage to gig and platform workers, a segment that has grown rapidly but remains largely outside formal welfare systems.  

The draft rules, issued for public feedback, lay down minimum engagement thresholds and registration requirements aimed at standardising access to benefits. 

Key Development 

As per the draft notification issued on December 30, 2025, gig and platform workers must be engaged for a minimum of 90 days in a financial year with a single aggregator to become eligible for social security schemes notified by the Centre.  

Workers operating across multiple aggregators will need to complete at least 120 engagement days during the year. 

The draft clarifies that a worker is considered “engaged” on any calendar day they earn income from an aggregator, irrespective of the amount earned. Engagement days will be counted cumulatively across platforms, meaning work done for different aggregators on the same day will be counted separately for each. 

How Engagement Will Be Calculated? 

Under the proposed framework, even minimal activity qualifies as a valid engagement day. If a worker earns income from one aggregator on a particular day, it counts as one day of engagement.  

If the same worker earns from 2 or 3 aggregators on the same day, each instance will be counted independently. The rules also extend eligibility to workers engaged directly by aggregators or through group entities, subsidiaries, LLPs or third-party arrangements. 

Registration and Digital Identification 

The draft rules make registration mandatory for unorganised workers on the Centre’s designated portal. Eligible registered workers will be issued a digital identity card carrying their photograph and other prescribed details. The registration process is already underway on the e-Shram portal, which acts as the national database for unorganised workers. 

Registered workers will be required to keep personal and professional details such as address, occupation, mobile number and skills updated on the portal. Failure to update this information could result in ineligibility for social security benefits under the proposed framework. 

Context and Timing 

The draft notification was issued a day ahead of a planned strike by gig and platform workers, who have been demanding higher payouts, improved working conditions and formal welfare coverage. The proposed rules are expected to form the basis for structured social security benefits once finalised after stakeholder consultations. 

Read More: Zomato, Swiggy Raise Incentives as Gig Worker Strike Looms on December 31! 

Conclusion 

By defining minimum engagement thresholds and formalising registration through a digital platform, the draft rules mark a step towards bringing gig and platform workers into India’s social security net. However, the final impact will depend on how flexibly the engagement norms are implemented and how effectively workers are onboarded and kept active within the system. 

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