SSDI Disability Eligibility: Quarters of Coverage & Work Credits
Social Security Disability insurance (SSDI) is a federal insurance program available to those who have worked and paid in a certain amount to Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) taxes.
What Is A Work Credit And How Do I Get Them?
In order to be eligible for SSDI benefits a claimant must show that they became disabled while still eligible, or “insured” for SSDI benefits.
Work Credits are earned by paying FICA taxes. The amount of earnings required to earn one work credit is set by the Social Security Administration and subject to change on a yearly basis. You can earn a maximum of four work credits in one year, one work credit for each quarter.
In 2018, you would have earned one work credit for every $1,320 in wages or self-employment income you earned. In 2022, the ‘price’ of a work credit has gone up to $1,510.
How Many Work Credits Do I Need To Qualify For SSDI?
Generally speaking, to be insured for SSDI benefits you must have earned at least 20 work credits during the past 40 quarters (10 years) prior to the onset of your disability. The date in which your SSDI coverage expires is referred to as your “date last insured.”
So, if you earned 4 work credits in each year from 2011 to 2016 and stopped working in 2016, you would be “insured” for the next five years, and your date last insured would be in 2021. In order to receive SSDI benefits, you would need to establish that you became disabled prior to 2021.
Since 2010, Citizens Disability has been America’s premier Social Security Disability advocate. Our mission is to give a voice to the millions of Americans who are disabled and unable to work, helping them receive the Social Security Disability benefits to which they may be entitled. We have helped tens of thousands of individuals with their SSDI claims. Your success is our mission.
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