What You Need to Know About Social Media and the SSA

If you haven’t yet heard, the Trump administration recently proposed a couple of months ago that the Social Security Administration start using social media to determine whether those that have applied for disability benefits are in fact qualified. If you’re asking the question, “How do I file for disability in Kansas City?” you’re probably also curious as to what this proposal means for you. As disability lawyers in Kansas City, here’s what you need to know about social media and the SSA.

Applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) isn’t necessarily the easiest process. Majority of applicants get denied the first time, proving the process to be fairly difficult, especially without a disability attorney in Kansas City helping you. The reason for the many application rejections is because it has been argued that cheating is a common occurrence in the program.

So where does social media play in all of this and how would it help the SSDI crack down on this cheating problem? The U.S. Government argues that social media monitoring will help weed out the many fraudulent disability claimants. For example, if you’re applying for Social Security benefits, but your social media activity shows photos of you participating in physical activities such as running, swimming, or even throwing a frisbee, you can expect denial of such benefits.

There are many criticisms of this proposal, as disability advocates and Social Security disability lawyers in Kansas City believe this to be an extreme act of privacy and doesn’t measure an applicants lifestyle accurately. Photos can immensely offer misleading evidence nowadays with the use of editing applications. Additionally, social media is a “highlight reel,” meaning people only post the best of the best photographs of themselves.

As a disability law firm in Kansas City, we understand that there is an extremely long history of fraud and abuse within the SSDI program. While social media monitoring has already been used in some investigations and has been successful in arresting many people who defrauded the SSDI, there is still much discussion to be had about making it a regular tool in evaluating disability applications.

If you feel as though you’ve been wrongly denied because of social media monitoring, our disability lawyers in Kansas City are here to help. We will work with you in the disability appeal process in Kansas City to ensure you receive the benefits you rightly deserve.