New York, New York - Workers in New York City have filed 13 complaints against DoorDash since July 26 accusing the app-based food delivery company of wage theft.

The complaints describe incidents that happened primarily in April and May of this year, depriving delivery workers of nearly $22,000 in earned wages, The City reported.

The Workers Justice Project, the parent organization of Los Deliveristas Unidos which helped workers file the complaints, said it is dealing with over 50 additional allegations of wage theft at DoorDash.

Many of the incidents begin when delivery workers lose access to their accounts. Problems come up when workers input a Social Security or tax identification number to identify themselves, or when they receive a negative review. In several cases, workers never got the follow-up email needed to complete the ID process.

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In any of these instances, workers may be blocked from their accounts, sometimes without explanation.

Workers Justice Project executive director Ligia Guallpa told The City that although other food delivery companies often lock workers out of their accounts, DoorDash is the only one that regularly withholds pay in such cases.

New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection "has received complaints from delivery workers alleging DoorDash did not pay them for work they performed, and we are investigating," spokesperson Michael Lanza said in a statement. "The investigation covers these complainants and any other DoorDash workers who may have experienced late payment or nonpayment."

App-based food delivery companies are supposed to pay their workers once per week in accordance with a city law passed in 2022.

Lanza added that any delivery worker who believes they have had wages withheld should contact the department.