How Many Work Credits Do I Need for SSDI Eligibility?

Published on: June 30, 2016

How many work credits does the SSA require for SSDI eligibility?How many work credits do you need in order to be eligible for SSDI benefits? The answer actually varies; however, in order to understand how many work credits you will need for SSDI eligibility, you need to understand how your SSA work credits are earned.

Social Security Disability Insurance is essentially an insurance program for workers who pay into its corresponding tax each pay period.

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This money is set aside for when, or if, the employee is no longer able to work due to a disabling condition, such as suffering a stroke or rheumatoid arthritis. However, it is a tad more complex than simply being reimbursed the monies you have paid into SSDI.

Work Credits and SSDI Eligibility- How Many Do You Need?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has various requirements for a disabled person to be eligible for SSDI benefits.

A few of these requirements include being diagnosed with a medical condition listed in the SSA Blue Book and the level of impairment that condition imposes on your ability to work.

Work credits are another piece of the SSA’s equation for determining whether you are eligible for SSDI benefits and are calculated as follows.

For every $1,260 you earn at work, will equal 1 work credit for the year 2016; the amount of dollars earned and required per work credit vary each year to adjust to the changing income levels.

Your age, the age you became disabled and the number of years you’ve worked within a specific time parameter will also help determine how many work credits you will need to be eligible for SSDI benefits.

For example, if you become disabled between the ages of 31-42, you will need 20 work credits within the 40-quarter period preceding the quarter in which you became disabled.

If you become disabled at age 62 or older, you still need 20 work credits within the 40-quarter period preceding the quarter in which you became disabled; you would need 40 credits in any timeframe to qualify for Retirement Benefits.

How Many SSDI Eligibility Work Credits Do You Have?

The above examples are just a couple of age, credit and years worked variations to help clarify how many work credits you will need to be eligible for SSDI benefits.

In our guide, Breaking Down Work Credits for Social Security Disability Insurance, you can view a more detailed graph outlining how many work credits you will need in accordance with your age and years of consecutive work needed for SSDI eligibility.

Breaking Down Work Credits for Social Security Disability Insurance Guide

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