Chinese food delivery firm Meituan has expanded its pension insurance subsidy program to cover riders nationwide, marking the industry's first social security subsidy scheme available to all delivery workers.

The move is part of broader efforts by Chinese internet companies to strengthen welfare protection for the millions-strong gig workforce.

Meituan said that it has built a multi-tier welfare and protection network covering all riders. Basic benefits include pension insurance subsidies, work injury insurance, accident coverage and foul-weather subsidies.

Advanced benefits include serious illness support for riders and their families, children's education funds and additional perks such as meal subsidies, medical checkups, female care programs, family travel and vocational training.

"These protection and welfare programs are open to all types of riders across the country," Meituan said in a statement, estimating the total coverage will extend to several million people.

Local governments have also opened dedicated service channels for delivery workers. In Quanzhou, Fujian province, the city's human resources bureau set up exclusive counters for Meituan riders.

By the end of September, Meituan said it had paid over 2 billion yuan ($280.8 million) in premiums for occupational injury insurance for gig workers, covering 13 million riders.

"Next, we will further deepen the combined model of basic protection, advanced benefits and lifestyle welfare," a Meituan representative said, adding that new programs such as parent-child leave and autumn harvest leave are in the pipeline, alongside expanded meal and family travel subsidies.

China's growing gig economy — from delivery riders to ride-hailing drivers — now employs tens of millions. The government has encouraged internet platforms to participate in strengthening protection systems for these workers, balancing social welfare with labor market flexibility.

Meituan's move aligns with a broader national discussion on improving social insurance systems for flexible and rural workers. Experts have called for stronger incentives and tailored mechanisms to expand pension coverage amid China's aging population.

Zhang Yi, former head of the National Academy of Chinese Modernization under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, suggested doubling basic pension levels for urban and rural residents over the next decade, while encouraging a co-funded model between individuals and local governments.

Zhang Dandan, an economics professor of the National School of Development of Peking University, said, "More efforts should be made to differentiate insurance schemes tailored to non-standard employment, including flexible combinations of occupational injury, medical and pension insurance, to better reflect income levels and job types."

chengyu@chinadaily.com.cn