Work Credit Requirements for SSDI in Parkersburg

When someone has private insurance, he or she pays premiums to the insurance company, and they receive coverage from that insurer as long as they pay for it. If he or she stops paying it, the coverage stops.

Social Security disability is also a form of insurance that we buy. Working adults pay into Social Security through FICA taxes withheld from their paychecks. Those withholdings, which accumulate into “work credits,” go into federal Social Security and Medicare coverage, and part of that money is for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). So, like other insurance programs, SSDI coverage begins on a certain date.

However, unlike private insurance, you must build up coverage to qualify for SSDI. In other words, you must have earned enough work credits on a continuous basis and for a set period of time to be eligible to even submit an application for disability benefits under SSDI. To learn more about the work credit requirements for SSDI in Parkersburg, connect with one of our knowledgeable attorneys.

What Happens when Someone Stops Paying FICA Taxes?

When someone stops paying into FICA, his or her coverage will end on a certain date, known as their “date last insured.” Once he or she stops working their last job that pays into the Social Security system, they have a window of about five years before their date last insured. In other words, a person’s date last insured would be five years after leaving his or her last job. SSA will determine if you have enough work credits based on your IRS earnings information. If you do not agree with the earnings information, it is an SSDI applicant’s responsibility to prove that he or she earned enough work credits before their date last insured.

What Are the Work Credit Requirements for SSDI?

An applicant for SSDI in Parkersburg must have earned enough work credits before becoming disabled to be insured, which could have been obtained over time with one or several employers. Specifically, SSDI is available for people who have obtained a required amount of earnings each quarter, which is a three-month period. It is possible to earn one work credit per quarter, equaling a maximum of four work credits per year.

The number of credits a disabled worker needs to qualify for SSDI will depend on his or her age at the onset of their disability. To apply for SSDI, he or she must be insured when their disability began. After someone stops working and paying Social Security taxes, his or her insurance will eventually expire, like other forms of insurance.

What to Expect if You Have a Good Work History

If an applicant has a good work history, his or her insurance coverage is not going to expire for about five years after they stop working. He or she can apply for benefits after it expires, but they must prove that their disability qualifies under the SSA’s standards prior to the date their disability insurance coverage expired, known as the date last insured.

Ask a Parkersburg Attorney about Work Credit Requirements for SSDI

If you have questions about how your work history could impact your eligibility for SSDI, get in touch with a local lawyer experienced in representing disabled workers. The Parkersburg lawyers at Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, can explain the SSA’s work credit requirements for SSDI to maximize your chances of filing a successful claim, so call today to learn more.