How many work credits do I need for SSDI?
Most workers need 40 credits total, with 20 earned in the last 10 years. You earn up to 4 credits per year. Younger workers who become disabled need fewer credits — someone disabled before 24 may qualify with as few as 6 credits.
What is a Social Security work credit?
A credit is a unit of covered earnings. In a given year you earn one credit per set amount of wages or self-employment income (indexed annually), up to a maximum of four credits per year. Credits measure whether you have worked long and recently enough to be insured.
What is the recent-work test?
In addition to total credits, SSDI requires that you worked recently — generally 20 of the required 40 credits must be earned in the 10 years before you became disabled. This ensures the insurance is tied to recent employment.
Do work credit rules change annually?
The dollar amount required to earn one credit is indexed to wages each year, so it rises over time. The number of credits needed is set by your age. Treat this as a current-year estimate.