Qualifying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), depends not just on your medical eligibility. The Social Security Administration (SSA), also takes into account your work history and how many work credits you have earned throughout your career.
Anyone who’s worked in the US knows that part of their paycheck goes toward Social Security taxes. These tax payments accumulate in the form of “work credits,” which are tallied quarterly, depending on your income. That income threshold is reevaluated yearly as inflation and cost-of-living changes. Depending on your age, the number of credits you need for SSDI are variable. Typically, claimants need between 20 and 40 work credits. Younger workers may qualify with fewer credits.
Age at Disability Onset || Number of Work Credits Required:
Before 24-years-old || 6 credits
24 – 30-years-old || 4 to 10 credits
31 – 42-years-old || 20 credits
43 – 61-years-old || 20 to 40 credits
62 to full retirement age || 40 credits
A recent work history is also taken into account during SSDI eligibility reviews. Credits must have been earned within a certain period of time of a claimant’s disability onset in order to contribute to SSDI eligibility.
Age at the Onset of Disability || Work Credits Required and Time by Which Credits Were Earned
Before 24-years-old || 6 credits within the 3 years of onset age
24 – 30-years-old || 4 or more credits, 1 credit for each year between age 21 and the age of onset
31 – 42-years-old || 20 credits earned within the 10 years before disability onset
43 – 61-years-old || 20 to 40 credits, 1 credit per year between age 21 and the onset of disability, plus at least 20 countable credits must additionally have accumulated in the 10 years just prior to disability
62 to full retirement age || 40 credits in total, with at least 20 earned in the 10 years just prior to disability
If you need assistance qualifying for disability benefits or interpreting SSDI requirements, contact Molly Burke Law Office today for your free, no-obligation consultation. We’ve helped hundreds of people across Kentucky to get the benefits they deserve.