Centre proposes 90-day minimum work for gig workers to qualify for social security benefits: Explained

Gig and platform workers will now need to be engaged for at least 90 days with a single aggregator, or 120 days if working with multiple aggregators, within a financial year to be eligible for social security benefits, according to draft rules released by the Union Labour Ministry for public consultation.

The notification is dated December 30, 2025, a day before workers staged a New Year’s Eve strike demanding higher pay and better working conditions.

Key points of the draft rules

• A worker is considered engaged with an aggregator if they earn any income for work performed on a particular calendar day, irrespective of the amount.

• For those working with multiple aggregators, engagement days are counted cumulatively. For example, if a worker is engaged with three aggregators on the same day, it counts as three days.

• Eligible workers include those engaged directly by the aggregator or through associate companies, subsidiaries, holding companies, limited liability partnerships, or third parties.

Registration and digital ID
The rules also require unorganised workers to register on the Centre’s designated portal. Every eligible registered worker will be issued a digital identity card containing their photograph and other details specified by the government.

The labour ministry has already started registrations on the e-Shram portal, the national database for unorganised workers. Registered workers can use the platform to access social security benefits.

Workers must regularly update their details—including address, occupation, mobile number, and skills—on the portal. Failure to do so may render them ineligible for social security schemes, according to the draft.