Work Credits for SSD Explained
Social Security Disability (SSD) is a program that provides disabled workers with monthly income. After two years, an SSD recipient also qualifies for medical coverage through Medicare. However, not every disabled person qualifies for SSD. Unlike many other benefits programs, Social Security is an insurance program, and workers become eligible for both retirement and disability benefits by accruing work credits.
Unfortunately, many people don’t understand how the system works until it’s too late. There’s no flexibility in the work credits requirement. If you become disabled and you don’t have enough credits or you don’t have enough recent credits, you won’t qualify for SSD. You may qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a need-based program, but the benefits are limited.
How Many Work Credits Are Required for SSD?
To qualify for Social Security retirement benefits, a worker needs to have accrued 40 work credits. We’ll explain what that means in more detail below, but in simple terms, it adds up to about 10 years of qualifying work. Work credit requirements for disability are a bit more complicated. Most SSD applicants must also have a minimum of 40 work credits. But, having 40 total work credits isn’t necessarily sufficient for SSD, because a disability applicant must also have a minimum number of recent credits as well. And, younger workers may need fewer total work credits and fewer recent work credits.
How Do You Earn a Work Credit?
A work credit is equal to a certain dollar amount of earnings. That amount changes every year. However, you can only earn a maximum of four work credits per year, no matter how much you earn. So, as a practical matter, you must do some qualifying work in each of at least 10 years.
The dollar amount required to earn a work credit is relatively low, and even a person working a regular part-time job can often accrue the maximum number of possible work credits in a year. It’s also possible to collect the full four work credits for a year without working all year.
In 2024, a worker can accrue one work credit for each $1,730 earned, up to four credits in a year. That may mean earning $800/month for the entire year or earning $10,000 in a single month.
Work Credits Required for SSD by Age
Here are the total number of work credits required to qualify for SSD based on the age you became disabled. Remember that this is only half of the work credits test–you must also have a certain minimum number of recent work credits.
If you become disabled at:
Age 62 or older, you’ll need 40 work credits.
Between age 60 and 62, you’ll need 38 work credits.
Between age 58 and 60, you’ll need 36 work credits.
Between age 56 and 58, you’ll need 34 work credits.
Between age 54 and 56, you’ll need 32 work credits.
Between age 52 and 54, you’ll need 30 work credits.
Between age 50 and 52, you’ll need 28 work credits.
Between age 48 and 50, you’ll need 26 work credits.
Between age 46 and 48, you’ll need 24 work credits.
Between age 44 and 46, you’ll need 22 work credits.
Between age 31 and 42, you’ll need 20 work credits.
For workers 30 and younger, the calculation is somewhat different and equates to half of the time between when they turned 21 and when they became disabled. So, for example, if a person became disabled on their 25th birthday, they would have four years of eligible work time after turning 21. The maximum possible work credits they could have earned during that time would be 16 (four years x four work credits/year). So, they would need eight total work credits.
Those who become disabled before the age of 24 need to have earned six work credits in the three years before they became disabled, regardless of exact age. Note that this means that someone who becomes disabled very young may not qualify for SSD even though they have been working steadily. Fortunately, this is a fairly unusual situation.
Recent Work Credits by Age
In addition to the overall minimums listed above, an SSD applicant must also have a certain number of recent work credits. Regardless of the number of total credits required, a worker who becomes disabled at age 31 or older must generally have accrued at least 20 credits during the 10 years before they became disabled–that’s half of the maximum number of credits that could have been collected during that time.
For workers who become disabled before age 31, the recency requirement is factored into the minimums listed in the previous section. In addition, some blind applicants may be exempt from the recent work credits requirement and only need to fulfill the total work credits requirement.
How to Find Out How Many Work Credits You Have Accrued
The minimum required work credits is a hard and fast rule. So, if you’re considering applying for an SSD, you must know how many work credits you have. It’s also important to look closely at the Social Security Administration (SSA) records and make sure they match your actual work history. Occasionally, there may be a job missing from SSA records or a mistake in dates worked or earnings. In that situation, disability benefits could be denied in error.
To view your work credits, you’ll need to create an account on the SSA website. You will be required to verify your identity to access your records.
If you don’t have sufficient work credits to qualify for SSD or are unsure of the calculation, you should consider getting help from an experienced disability benefits advocate before you apply. If there is a problem with the record, you will want to figure it out and get it corrected before submitting your application to avoid extending the process. And, if you truly don’t have sufficient work credits, you may want to consider whether it is possible to continue working a little longer to accrue the remaining credits you need.
Of course, the best solution will depend on the specifics of your situation. An experienced SSD advocate can help with this and can explain the other eligibility requirements and what type of medical documentation is typically required in a case like yours. To learn more, call Disability Help Group right now at 800-800-3332, or fill out our contact form