The Social Security Disability program is like insurance. In order to be eligible, you must have contributed through payroll deductions or income taxes over a long enough period to be fully insured—and these contributions must have been paid recently enough to qualify. Work credits are allocated for each quarter (three month period) in which you have earned $540 or more. To find out how many work credits you have, call your local Social Security office or the federal office at 800-772-1213 and request your Social Security Statement. You may also mail your request by using Form SSA-7004 (reproduced in Appendix C).
The number of work credits needed for disability benefits depends on your age when you became disabled. Generally, you need 40 credits, 20 of which were earned in the last 10 years, ending with the year you become disabled. However, younger workers may qualify with fewer credits. The rules:
- Before age 24-You must have earned at least 6 credits in the three-year period ending when your disability starts.
- Age 24 to 31-You must have received at least half the maximum number of work credits possible between age 21 and the time you became disabled.
- Age 31 or older-You must have received at least the number of credits listed on the chart below. Unless you are blind, you must have earned at least 20 of the credits in the ten years immediately before you became disabled.
| Age When Disabled: | Number of Credits Needed: | Years Worked: |
| 31 through 42 | 20 | 5 |
| 44 | 22 | 5 ½ |
| 46 | 24 | 6 |
| 48 | 26 | 6 ½ |
| 50 | 28 | 7 |
| 52 | 30 | 7 ½ |
| 54 | 32 | 8 |
| 56 | 34 | 8 ½ |
| 58 | 36 | 9 |
| 60 | 38 | 9 ½ |
| 62 or older | 40 | 10 |
If you are interested in applying for Social Security Disability, or even if you have already been denied, give our office a call for a free consultation today. You can reach us toll free at 1-877-526-3457.
