DoorDash is an online food delivery service that enables people to order food from restaurants.
The food is then picked up for delivery by freelance workers.
DoorDash is one of the largest food delivery companies in the United States.
Through DoorDash, local businesses meet consumers’ demands for ease and convenience in getting goods and services. The company generates new ways for people to work, earn, and live.
Any condition that limits a person’s ability, senses, and movement is called a disability.
Although living with a disability could restrict a person in various ways, it is not possible to outrightly determine the extent of restrictions.
Keep reading to know if you can do DoorDash while on disability.
Table of Contents
- How Does DoorDash Work?
- Requirements for DoorDash
- Working with DoorDash
- How DoorDash Payment Is Calculated
- Welfare Benefits for Disabled Individuals
- Income Limitations for Social Benefits
- Can I DoorDash While on Disability?
- What is Disability Fraud?
- Consequences of Disability Fraud
How Does DoorDash Work?
DoorDash utilizes people who work freelance as dispatch riders or delivery agents. These freelance workers are referred to as Dashers.
The customers place their order from any registered restaurant on the DoorDash app. Then they approve the delivery fee and tip for the dashers.
Once the customer concludes their order, the app pushes the order to the available Dashers logged on the app.
As a dasher, your responsibility is to accept the order on the DoorDash app, drive to the restaurant to pick up the order, then deliver it to the customer.
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Requirements for DoorDash
Before you can be confirmed as a DoorDash driver or a dasher, you need to meet the requirements below.
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- You must have access to a car, scooter, or bicycle.
- You need to have a driver’s license number.
- Your social security number is required if you’re in the US.
- You must consent to a background check.
Working with DoorDash
Working with DoorDash could be a great decision, depending on your circumstances.
A Dasher is any freelance driver hired and paid to make deliveries on behalf of local restaurants.
A benefit of doing DoorDash is that you work freelance. You have the privilege of choosing when you want to work and otherwise.
You can work with DoorDash as a side hustle. You set your hours and get quick orders for delivery via the app.
DoorDash offers opportunities to earn bonuses that increase the earnings of dashers.
Some of these opportunities are promotions and incentives for working during busy times and for making the less desirable deliveries to customers.
As a Dasher, you’re eligible to receive one hundred percent of the delivery fees, tips, and also promotions that come with each order.
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How DoorDash Payment Is Calculated
The earnings of DoorDash drivers are calculated by summing up the base pay, tips, and promotions.
The base pay rate depends on the type of order, time, and other factors. It is the least amount you can expect to receive.
The promotions vary based on location. DoorDash introduced these promotions to serve as an incentive for drivers.
For tips, DoorDash recommends 15% of the customer’s total order.
Welfare Benefits for Disabled Individuals
To get access to social security benefits, you must have worked long enough and paid the social security taxes. You’re insured once you meet these requirements.
Two primary forms of welfare assistance for people with disability are Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Depending on the welfare assistance, your earning limitations are different.
Income Limitations for Social Benefits
You can make a small income while collecting disability benefits.
How much you’re allowed to make depends on whether you get SSDI or SSI benefits.
The Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) is the monthly income used as a threshold by the US Social Security Administration (SSA) to qualify individuals for disability benefits.
The SSA uses the SGA to determine whether a person is eligible for its programs or not.
If an individual earns beyond the monthly SGA threshold, such person is not eligible to access the social benefits.
The threshold amounts used to calculate the benefits vary among blind and non-blind individuals with disabilities.
Due to this, blind individuals can earn more than non-blind individuals per month as their limitations are different.
Every year, the SGA amount is adjusted based on the current price/wage index.
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Can I DoorDash While on Disability?
Working as a freelance driver on DoorDash requires that you can drive. You will also need to do some physical work while working for DoorDash. If you can meet all the requirements of the DoorDash Company, you will have no trouble working with DoorDash regardless of your disability.
The answer to this question is relative. It depends on your disability.
You need to be strong enough to pick up food orders, deliver them, carry groceries, and climb stairs. All these depend on the sort of order you choose to deliver.
You must also earn within the SGA limit.
You can achieve this by keeping your work hours on DoorDash low.
You need to be careful as you’re rendered ineligible if you earn a dollar over the declared SGA limit.
You’re mandated to report your annual operating income to the Social Service. This ensures that you don’t exceed your SGA limit.
As you work for DoorDash, you must also ensure that your records are truthful to avoid disability fraud.
What is Disability Fraud?
Social security disability fraud refers to any attempt to get benefits you cannot receive except by fraudulent actions.
There are different ways to commit disability fraud.
Being informed is essential as ignorance of these actions is not an excuse.
Some actions that the SSA considers fraudulent are:
Lying on your application
It would be best if you did not falsify any information on your SSDI application.
Falsifying medical records
Every medical record that you provide must be truthful.
Please note that you must also provide information about changes to your medical condition, whether good or bad.
Failure to do so is regarded as fraudulent intent.
Falsifying employment details
You must always provide the correct information about your employment. In case of changes to your employment status, you must notify the SSA.
Consequences of Disability Fraud
Social security disability fraud is considered a severe crime. Disability fraud is punishable by a hefty fine or a jail sentence.
This article doesn’t address the most important issue. When driving as a Dasher, are you allowed to deduct the standard mileage rate for determining countable income towards sga?
Hi Jeff,
The mileage rate is also considered an allowable expense, which should also be deducted from your earnings to determine your countable income.
Hope this helps.
so then my adult disabled son can deduct gas expense when reporting earned dash income on ssdi automated system nobody clearly answers if this is allowed to be deducted when reporting earnings monthly.
I know what to deduct for expenses when doing taxes.