The 21st Century has brought social media to the forefront of our culture. Information is disseminated by the average person at almost the instant such information becomes fact. Americans now eschew privacy just as their 20th Century counterparts pursued it. Many upload personal information, photographs, their location at any given time, or just a random thought without considering the long-term effects of such an instance of sharing.
Remember, whenever and wherever you post something, no matter how obscure you may think it is, the fact or photograph has a strange way of becoming public information. While, social media activity may never be the primary basis for a decision denying benefits, even the most insignificant, seemingly harmless acts may, in some way, affect a decision about eligibility for disability benefits.
Of course, if an applicant is honest and forthright, as required by law, about a medical condition in applying for benefits, social media should have minimal, if any, effect on the ultimate decision to award benefits. One solution that is less drastic than a blanket deletion of everything is to make social media profiles private. This keeps all of the posted personal information out of the possession of strangers. Information theft, fraud, and misuse are major crimes.
While social media accounts will likely have little or no effect on an application for disability benefits, anyone having any questions about a claim for disability benefits, including those related to personal social media activity, should consult with an experienced Social Security disability attorney.
Working with a disability attorney offers many advantages for successfully obtaining benefits, including the avoidance of awkward social media disclosures, prior to the filing of an application for benefits, thus ensuring that you have the best chance of successfully filing a disability application. Be careful of what you post on social media. Applicants for disability benefits don’t want to present a false or unclear set of facts based on a comment or picture posted on a social media website. Contact Sullivan Law Office today. We offer free consultations, so you have absolutely nothing to lose! We look forward to hearing from you. Call 888-587-0228 or visit us online.
