Food delivery riders are struggling to make enough money to live off due to a lack of orders being made on apps like Uber Eats and Deliveroo.

Riders across the U.K. told CNBC that demand for takeouts has plummeted as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

"It's not great," said Alice, a 29-year-old student who delivers for Uber Eats in Edinburgh. Scotland. Alice, who did not wish to provide her surname, was logged onto Uber Eats for 6 hours and 45 minutes on Monday. She made a grand total of £4.00 ($4.92).

Last week, she made £76.31. And the week before, £86.67. She's now worried that she's not going to be able to pay the fees for her master's degree.

"To get orders you have to be outside places that are open, which is quite an ask given the low numbers coming through," said Alice. "I've definitely seen colleagues struggling mentally to just be outside waiting and waiting."

Uber Eats and Deliveroo say they're doing all they can to help riders through the pandemic, with riders earning more than the national minimum wage on average. The apps also advise riders of the best times to earn more efficiently.

"Riders are at the heart of everything we do and we are working hard to support them during this difficult time," a Deliveroo spokesperson told CNBC.

"We are so proud of the vital role they are playing, as they help the public receive the food they need and want. We are with them every step of the way."

Deliveroo is giving riders free hand sanitizer and face masks, but they need more than that. Riders say they are struggling to make anywhere near the national minimum wage, and nowhere near what they normally do.

Mark Aldridge, a 46-year-old Uber Eats courier in Huddersfield in the north of England, said nowhere is open so there's no orders. "I'd normally make about £500 a week," he said. "Now, it's nothing. There's still guys going out, but they're making about £2 or £3 an hour. It's pointless."

Hanna Williams, a 24-year-old in Teeside, said food delivery work is basically "non-existent" now. "I managed to get 2.5 hours with (delivery firm) Stuart this week with a minimum guarantee of £8 an hour," she said. "So I'll have made about £20 from Stuart this week. My earnings used to be between £200 and £400 a week."

The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) told CNBC that almost every rider has seen demand plummet since the lockdown began in the U.K. in March.

"Food delivery couriers working for Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Just Eat and Stuart, who were already facing poverty wages before the pandemic, are now being driven to destitution, as demand has completely dried up across the U.K.," said IWGB Couriers and Logistics Branch Chair Alex Marshall.