In this day and age, we post almost everything on social media.
Whether you are going out to lunch with a friend, you are upset about something a political candidate has said or you have finally gotten around to cleaning out your garage, chances are, your friends on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, probably know all about it. Posting anything and everything on social media has become the way of the world, and unfortunately, what you post could affect the outcome of your disability application.
How can social media affect your disability application?
Although it is true that the Social Security Administration has rules that prohibit judges and examiners from searching for information about disability claimants online, unfortunately, it still happens. It just means that the evidence they find cannot be cited as the main reason for the denial, but posting things on social media can and will make a huge difference in the way that your case evaluator perceives you and your claim.
There are many innocent things you could post on social media that could hurt your claim, even if they don’t necessarily prove that you aren’t disabled. For example, you could post a status update about how you had a great night out with your friends. People with disabilities can certainly have friends and spend time with them, but this kind of post can still look bad to your case evaluator.
Can you use social media safely?
Just because social media can affect the outcome of your disability application, doesn’t mean that you have to immediately stop using it altogether and delete your accounts. There are safe ways to use social media, and in our next blog, our disability attorney in Louisville will give you the basics on using social media safely. Stay tuned!
