Protecting gig workers and the remittances they send

For millions of households around the world, remittances – the payments sent to family members or loved ones by those who are laboring far away from home, often in a foreign country – serve as vital lifelines that cover everyday necessities: food, housing, healthcare and more. Many of these foreign workers are also members of the gig economy, meaning that they are essentially self-employed contractors whose livelihoods and payment schedules depend upon a steady stream of short-term assignments.

While this flexible structure has its benefits, many of these gig workers are also highly vulnerable to a complex set of risks that threaten the stability of their income and their ability to send money back home. One of the biggest risks is the possibility of not being able to work and earn income while having to pay for unexpected medical and other incidental expenses following a debilitating accident or health crisis. Without certain protections that are often available through full-time employment – such as paid time off or short-term disability protection – a single unfortunate incident can put these laborers out of work in an instant, with serious ramifications not only for themselves but for those who depend on their regular remittance payments.

In Chubb’s 2025 report on the state of global remittances, it was revealed that gig workers around the world experience heightened financial instability, limited social safety nets and greater susceptibility to technological risks. Some of these workers are more vulnerable than others: Studies have shown that delivery drivers and drivers for rideshare companies, for example, are much more likely than workers in other fields to be injured or involved in an accident while on the job. But for gig workers employed in any sector, a sidelining injury or accident that results in an extended period of downtime can have serious financial consequences. Chubb’s report revealed that 97% percent of gig workers in the U.S. would not be able to sustain living expenses for more than three months were they to lose their primary income source, underscoring the heightened vulnerability of this particular segment of the labor market.  

As independent contractors, many gig workers may lack insurance protections offered through a full-time employer that can help cover healthcare costs and loss of income as a result of an accident or health crisis. An unexpected injury or hospitalization can disrupt their ability to earn and share their paychecks, turning what for other workers might be a temporary setback into a financial crisis for themselves and their families. 

Fortunately, gig workers who may have difficulty paying for emergency medical services or missing work have a way of protecting themselves and those who rely on their remittances: personal accident and income protection insurance that can help cover medical expenses, replace lost income during recovery periods and ensure continued support for dependents. For those whose income depends on their physical presence or mobility, this insurance offers critical financial support in the aftermath of any injuries that might be sustained on or off the job.

For its 2025 report, Chubb surveyed more than 3,500 adults with below-median household incomes who had sent international remittances within the past 12 months. Respondent profiles captured demographics such as gender, age, income level, employment type, foreign- and/or gig-worker status and educational level.

Globally, nearly nine out of ten survey respondents expressed significant interest in obtaining personal accident insurance; a similarly high percentage expressed interest in obtaining income protection insurance that would cover them in the event of a short-term disability. But coverage statistics also revealed a disconnect between this stated interest and the taking of action:

• In the U.S., the take-up rate for personal accident insurance was 48%
• In Singapore, 68%
• In the U.K., 25%
• In Australia, 31%
• The global average was 44%
• In the U.K., the take-up rate for income protection insurance was 21%
• In Australia, 25%
• Among foreign and gig workers, specifically, the take-up rate for income protection insurance in the entire Asia-Pacific region was only 22% 

These gaps can be closed. Through Chubb Studio, a technology platform that helps organizations integrate our insurance products into their own digital offerings, Chubb offers tailored personal accident and income protection insurance – in countries and regions all over the world – that can be easily accessed through banks, digital payment services or the organizations that connect gig workers to their customers. By embedding these insurance options into the ecosystems within which gig workers engage, organizations have an opportunity to give these workers greater ability to strengthen their resilience, along with their families’ and loved ones’ resilience, by helping ensure that an accident or health crisis doesn’t lead to long-term economic damage.

This simple, tailored coverage is arguably the single most effective tool for preventing a temporary injury or illness from disrupting a worker’s income – and, with it, the vital flow of remittances. Find out more about Chubb Studio and its embedded insurance options for digital customers here.