Being spied on by the Social Security Administration (SSA) for filing a Pennsylvania disability claim is not something everyone would expect. While this is more common with private disability insurance companies, this can still happen by the SSA under certain circumstances. When this does happen, you might not know it and your disability claim could be denied depending on what they find. Feel free to talk to a Pennsylvania disability lawyer if this happened to you.

Why Would Social Security Spy on Me?

Many people are surprised to learn that the SSA could choose to spy on them. What this means is surveillance by various means that range from online to in-person. Since the main goal of the SSA is to determine the validity of your claim, they will take the steps needed to do this.

Not every disability claim requires surveillance like this. The claims that arrive with contradictions and other suspicious activities might. What the SSA will do if they have reason to believe a claim has been exaggerated or made up is move your claim to a higher level. Your claim will be sent to a team called the cooperative disability investigations unit.

What this cooperative disability investigation will involve is:

• Comparing and assessing evidence you submitted
• Searching for additional evidence
• Looking for problems with your claim
• Surveillance

This is the team that will likely look at and conduct surveillance on you. Surveillance can mean looking at your work or school records but might also involve video surveillance. The goal of surveillance is to observe your functional abilities. If your functional abilities do not match your disability claim, then your claim could be denied. Consider contacting a Pennsylvania disability lawyer if your claim was wrongfully denied.

How Does Social Security Spy on Me?

You might be wondering how the SSA cooperative disability investigations unit spies on people. They use various means that range from searching physical documents to looking at video footage of you at work or school. This team has the means to gain access to these things.

The SSA may also hire a private investigator when they see red flags with your disability claim. As long as you do not exaggerate your symptoms, you should be fine. Private investigators may monitor your social media activity or conduct video surveillance of you in public.

People find themselves in trouble when they post things on social media that show them not experiencing the symptoms they claimed. For example, someone who claims to have a disability that requires a wheelchair might be in trouble if they post a picture of themselves walking.

Disability Lawyer in Pennsylvania

Finding out your disability claim was denied can be scary when you need financial help right away. Consider talking to a Pennsylvania delayed insurance benefits attorney who can help you figure out why your claim was denied. Contact Edelstein, Martin & Nelson by dialing (800) – 300 – 0909 today for a consultation. Our experienced legal team of Pennsylvania disability lawyers is prepared to help you collect the evidence you need to defend your claim.