Understanding Work Credits for SSDI

Work credits are earned by:

• Paying Social Security taxes through employment or self-employment.
• Credits accumulate based on your yearly amount of earnings.
• You can earn up to 4 credits per year, depending on income.

Basic Eligibility Timeframe

The SSA requires:

• You to have earned roughly 20 credits within the past 10 years before your disability began.
• Younger applicants may need fewer credits based on age.
• The number of credits needed generally increases with age.

Age-Related Credit Requirements

Depending on your age when disabled:

• If you become disabled before age 24, you may only need 6 credits earned in the last 3 years.
• Applicants 24-31 typically need credits for half the years between age 21 and the disability onset.
• Those over 31 usually require around 20 credits in the last 10 years.

Special Rules for Younger Workers

Younger workers with less work history might:

• Qualify with fewer work credits if they meet disability duration requirements.
• Still need to have paid into Social Security through employment.

Why Work History Matters

The SSA uses your work history to:

• Evaluate if you have paid sufficient Social Security taxes to qualify.
• Determine the amount of benefits based on your past earnings.

Common Challenges

Applicants often face issues such as:

• Counting insufficient work credits to meet the minimum.
• Confusion about how past employment years count toward eligibility duration.
• Needing documentation of earnings and employment history for SSA verification.