02/07/2026
🚨BREAKING: The big parcel firms will no longer be able to wash their hands when an illegal worker is caught delivering their parcels, under new legislation set out by the government.
Until now, networks could lean on the subcontracting model. If an agency driver or a driver working for a small subcontractor was found working illegally, the brand at the top could point at the middleman and dodge the liability.
From October 1 that changes, with the primary company held directly responsible no matter how many subcontractors sit in the chain.
It comes as part of a new legal requirement for all employers, including those using self-employed and flexible working models, to carry out right-to-work checks, with fines of up to £60,000 for each illegal worker found delivering on a firm's behalf.
The move follows a Telegraph investigation into illegal working in the delivery sector, with the government saying arrests by immigration enforcement for illegal working in distribution and delivery rose by 217% last year compared with 2024.
Firms that keep breaking the law face further consequences too, with ministers taking powers to strip executives of their directorships and, in the most serious cases, jail offenders for up to five years.
Businesses will now get a three-month lead-in before the rules take effect.