On October 27, Meituan announced via its official WeChat account that its rider pension insurance subsidy program has officially expanded nationwide. This marks the industry's first social insurance subsidy initiative open to all types of riders, achieving the milestone two months ahead of schedule.

Starting November, riders can access detailed guidelines through the Meituan Rider App or local social insurance consultation points. The company has now preliminarily established a multi-tiered welfare and protection network covering all riders.

The basic protections include pension insurance subsidies, occupational injury insurance, accident insurance, and extreme weather allowances. Enhanced benefits extend to critical illness coverage for riders and their families, education funds for children, as well as workplace perks like meals, health checkups, women’s care programs, family trips, and vocational training. Meituan emphasized that these benefits are universally accessible to riders across all regions and sectors, potentially benefiting millions.

According to Meituan’s rider protection team lead, over 500 roundtable discussions with riders and experts have been held nationwide, incorporating tens of thousands of suggestions into policy refinements. Since February, with support from local labor authorities, the company has conducted more than 10,000 offline Q&A sessions at social insurance centers, union stations, rider hubs, and street consultation points to guide riders through policy details and enrollment procedures.

Pilot cities like Quanzhou and Nantong have introduced dedicated service channels, including one-on-one assistance and integrated "policy briefing + on-site support + mobile enrollment" services. Many localities have also set up "social insurance corners" at rider stations for convenience.

Meituan’s efforts in safeguarding gig workers began with occupational injury insurance trials in July 2022, now expanded to 17 provinces. By September this year, the company had contributed over RMB 2 billion, covering 13 million riders. Building on this, Meituan designed a pension scheme in 2024, refined it with regulatory input, and launched trials in early 2025. On July 17 (Riders’ Day), Meituan pledged nationwide rollout within the year, targeting over a million riders.

Riders like Qiu Fengying from Changsha, a mother of three and an 8-year veteran who recently bought a home, praised the subsidy: "RMB 400+ monthly adds up to RMB 5,000 annually—a real financial relief." Tang Weihong, 47, echoed this, calling it "a monthly pay raise of RMB 500." Riders in Guangzhou and Harbin estimated annual subsidies exceeding RMB 6,000.

Meituan has also streamlined subsidy disbursement, enabling riders to receive payments as early as the first week of the following month after enrollment. Dedicated hotlines and AI customer service offer 24/7 support.

Looking ahead, Meituan plans to deepen its "basic + advanced + lifestyle" welfare model, piloting initiatives like parental leave, harvest leave, expanded dining subsidies, and family travel benefits.

(Image sources: Meituan; rider-provided screenshots)