Many people are shocked when Social Security denies their disability claim even though they can no longer drive. Their first question is: “If I can’t drive, how am I supposed to get to work?”
The answer may seem unfair, but the truth is that Social Security generally does not consider transportation problems when deciding whether someone is disabled.
Social Security Doesn’t Care How You Get to Work
When Social Security evaluates a disability claim, it focuses on one main question: Can you perform work despite your medical conditions and limitations?
Social Security is not concerned with how you would get to that job.
In other words, they are not asking: Can this person get to work?
They are asking: Can this person perform the work?
If Social Security believes you can perform a job, it will generally not matter whether you have a driver’s license, own a car, or have transportation available.
But I Live in a Rural Area
Many disability applicants live in small towns or rural areas where there is little or no public transportation. Unfortunately, that usually does not change the outcome.
Social Security is a federal program, so it does not look only at the jobs available in your town, county, or state. Instead, it looks at whether jobs exist in significant numbers in the U.S.
As a result, Social Security may find that jobs exist even if there are no such jobs near where you live.
So How Do I Get to Work?
If Social Security believes you can perform a job, they would say you could:
- Ride with a friend or family member
- Use public transportation
- Take a taxi or rideshare service such as Uber or Lyft
- Walk
- Ride a bicycle
- Use other available transportation options
Whether those options are realistic for you, personally, is not part of the disability analysis.
When Does Driving Matter?
There is one important exception. Driving can be relevant if the job itself requires driving.
For example:
- Truck driver
- Bus driver
- Delivery driver
- Taxi driver
- Commercial driver
- Forklift driver
- Jobs that require regular travel
If a person’s medical condition prevents them from driving safely, it could affect their ability to perform those specific jobs.
However, Social Security may still deny the claim if it believes the person could perform other jobs that do not require driving.
The Bottom Line
Many people assume that being unable to drive automatically means they cannot work. Social Security sees things differently.
In most disability cases, Social Security does not consider transportation issues when deciding whether someone is disabled. It does not matter whether you own a car, have a driver’s license, or have public transportation available where you live.
Social Security is only concerned with whether or not a person can perform the work, not how they get there.
Unless driving is an essential part of the job itself, the inability to drive usually will not be enough to qualify for disability benefits.
At Disability Advocates, we combine knowledge, skill, and proven results to guide you through the SSDI process.