Connecting with Social Security Disability when you need that income is not a simple process. All too often, people find themselves waiting a year or even two years before they receive benefits. A large number of people who apply for Social Security Disability benefits initially receive a denial of their claim, often for strange or seemingly frivolous reasons.
It is always in your best interest to take great care when applying for Social Security Disability. You want to make sure that you fill out the application accurately and thoroughly. You also need to obtain documentation from your doctor about your condition and how it impacts your life and ability to work. Finally, you should be cautious about how you socialize and how you use social media while awaiting a response on your claim and for the duration of your benefits.
Social media can create an inaccurate picture of your life
Most people try to show their best selves on social media. This often results in individuals censoring the negative or difficult aspects of their lives and only showing pictures of lovely moments. You may not post about your debilitating pain, but you may want to share pictures of your family at the beach.
Unfortunately, some disability claims professionals could use those positive posts you share on social media as a way to undermine or deny your claim. Posts that show you engaging in activities could help an insurance company argue that your disability isn’t as serious as you presented it to be.
Pictures taken months or years ago that your friends post could even impact your case. Posts taken out of context may make it seem like you don’t have daily symptoms. Any text or images that could lead someone to believe you are in perfect health could endanger your claim for Social Security Disability benefits.
Be careful about what you share online
There are certain steps you can take to protect yourself from a social media snafu impacting your Social Security Disability claim. For starters, lock down your account. Instead of having posts be publicly accessible, make them accessible only to your friends or followers. That limits the number of people who can access your social media pages.
When people do post pictures of you active or at a party, it’s important to quantify and clarify the contents of that image. If it was taken years ago, you might ask the person who posted it to include a date in the original post. If it shows you in a position that doesn’t adequately reflect your daily existence, you might consider adding a comment to the picture. In some cases, you may even choose to ask your friends not to post pictures of you on social media without your previous approval.
You should also be careful about what you post. Avoiding pictures that make you look healthier than you are and sharing how your condition impacts your daily life online could help. Not only can sharing your symptoms on social media help your friends and loved ones understand your daily existence, but it reduces the chance that other posts will wind up taken out of context in a manner that can damage your disability claim.