A nice man, whom I know, called recently to ask about filing a Social Security disability claim. When I asked "When's the last time you worked?" my heart sank. "His answer, about 7 years ago." while I believe this man is medically disabled, he does not have enough work credits to support an SSDI claim. No benefit is available to him.
In short, an individual must have worked at a qualifying job and earned enough work credits to be insured for Social Security disability benefits. In simple language, you must pay into Social Security before you are covered for disability benefits.
As a general rule, for claimants age 31 or older, you must have worked at least 5 years out of the most recent 10 years before filing a claim.
An individual may earn 1 work credit for each calendar quarter in which sufficient wages were paid. Since each year has 4 quarters, a claimant may earn up to 4 credits per year.
How many quarters (credits) are needed for a Social Security Disability (SSDI) claim?
The number of credits necessary to meet the recent work test depends on your age. The rules are as follows:
- Before age 24 - You may be eligible if you have 6 credits earned in the 3-year period ending when your disability starts.
- Age 24 to 31 – In general, you may be
eligible if you have credit for working half the time between age 21
and the time your disability began. As an example, if you develop a
disability at age 27, you would need 3 years of work (12 credits) out of
the past 6 years (between ages 21 and 27).
- Age 31 or older - In general, you must have at least 20 credits in the 10-year period immediately before your disability began. You must have worked at least 5 years out of the previous 10 years.
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