Social Security Credits for SSDI: To qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), individuals must earn a specific number of Social Security credits. These credits are accumulated by working and contributing to Social Security taxes. While the number of credits required for eligibility is important, it does not determine the amount of benefits a person will receive.
Since 1978, individuals can earn up to four credits annually. The number of credits earned is based on your income rather than the duration of your work. In 2025, you earn one credit for every $1,810 in earnings. To reach the maximum of four credits, you would need to earn a total of $7,240 in the year.
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Social Security Credits for SSDI: Eligibility
In order to qualify for SSDI benefits, you generally need to accumulate 40 credits over the course of your career. Since you can earn up to four credits per year, it typically takes around 10 years of work to meet this requirement. Exceptions apply depending on your age and employment history.
- If you become disabled before turning 24, you only need six credits, all earned in the three years preceding your disability.
- For those aged 31 or older, at least 20 credits earned within the 10 years prior to becoming disabled are required.
- Someone who becomes disabled at age 60, for example, needs a minimum of 9.5 years of work history.
Once you earn these credits they remain on your record even if you have periods of unemployment or a break from working. The amount needed to earn a credit typically rises each year as wages across the country increase.
Social Security Credits and Survivors’ Benefits
Survivor’s’ benefits work similarly to SSDI. If a worker passes away before they could begin claiming their Social Security benefits but had paid Social Security taxes, their surviving family members might still qualify for benefits.
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Eligibility for survivors’ benefits depends on the deceased person’s work history and the age of the survivor. In some cases, the deceased may have needed up to 10 years of work history. Survivors who may qualify for benefits include-
- A spouse who is either of full retirement age or at least 60 years old, or a disabled spouse who can claim benefits at age 50, or a spouse caring for a child under 16 or a disabled child.
- Unmarried children under 18, or up to 19 if they are still attending school, along with adult children who became disabled before age 22, may also be eligible. In rare cases, dependent parents aged 62 or older might qualify for survivors’ benefits as well.
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