How Work Credits Are Counted

Social Security counts your work history in units called work credits. You earn one credit for every $1,730 of wages you report to Social Security in a calendar year (this dollar amount changes each year, so the threshold will be different depending on when you worked). You can earn a maximum of four credits per year, no matter how much you earn above that threshold.

The year matters less than the total. If you earned $6,920 in 2023, you would have earned four credits that year. If you earned $1,730 in January and nothing else all year, you would have earned one credit. Social Security counts credits from the moment you start working, so someone who worked part-time in high school and then full-time after college will have credits from both periods on their record.

To receive SSDI, you must have earned enough credits total and have earned a certain number of them recently. The exact number depends on your age when you become disabled.

Key Takeaways

  • You earn one work credit for every $1,730 of reported wages in a calendar year, up to four credits per year.
  • SSDI requires a minimum number of total credits (usually 40) plus credits earned in the last 10 years (usually 20 credits in the last 10 years).
  • You can check your exact credit count by creating a my Social Security account online or requesting a Statement of Earnings from Social Security.
  • If you do not have enough credits, you may still be able to receive benefits under a family member's work record if they are retired, disabled, or deceased.

Credit Requirements by Age

The number of credits you need depends on how old you are when your disability begins. If you become disabled before age 24, you need only six credits earned in the three years before your disability started. If you become disabled between ages 24 and 31, you need credits for half the time between age 21 and the time you became disabled, with a minimum of six credits.

If you become disabled at age 31 or older, you need 40 credits total, with at least 20 of those credits earned in the 10 years before your disability began. This is the most common requirement. The 20 credits in the last 10 years rule means you must have worked roughly five of the last ten years, earning at least four credits per year.

Social Security will calculate which rule applies to you based on your birth date and the date your disability is determined to have started. You do not choose which rule to use — Social Security applies the rule that gives you the best chance of meeting the requirement.

How to Find Your Current Credit Count

The fastest way to see your work credits is to create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov. Once you log in, you can view your Statement of Earnings, which lists every year you worked, how much you earned, and how many credits you received that year. This statement is updated once per year, usually in the fall, and reflects earnings through the previous year.

If you do not want to create an online account, you can request a Statement of Earnings by mail. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and ask them to mail you Form SSA-7050-F, or visit your local Social Security office in person. By mail, the statement takes two to four weeks to arrive.

Your statement will show credits earned year by year. Count the total number of credits listed. Then count how many credits appear in the last 10 years of your work history. If both numbers meet the requirement for your age, you have enough credits to potentially receive SSDI based on your own work record.

What Happens if You Do Not Have Enough Credits

Not having enough credits on your own record does not automatically disqualify you from SSDI. You may be able to receive benefits based on a family member's work record if that person is retired, disabled, or deceased. This is called auxiliary SSDI, and it uses the family member's credits instead of yours.

To receive auxiliary SSDI, you must be disabled and the family member must have enough credits on their record. You do not need to be related by blood — a spouse or ex-spouse (if the marriage lasted at least 10 years) can also be the wage earner whose record you use. Social Security will look at the family member's record automatically if you do not have enough credits yourself.

If neither your record nor a family member's record has enough credits, you cannot receive SSDI. You may be able to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) instead, which is a separate program that does not require work credits. SSI is based on current income and resources, not work history.

Correcting Errors on Your Earnings Record

If your Statement of Earnings shows missing years, incorrect earnings amounts, or credits you do not recognize, you can request a correction. Social Security can only correct records going back three years, three months, and 15 days from the date you request the correction. Errors older than that are generally not corrected unless you have documentation like old tax returns or W-2 forms.

To request a correction, bring your evidence (W-2s, tax returns, pay stubs, or a letter from your former employer) to your local Social Security office or mail it to Social Security with a written explanation of the error. Include your name, Social Security number, and the years affected. Social Security will contact your former employer to verify the earnings if needed.

Corrections can take several months. If you are explore for SSDI and discover an error, report it to Social Security as soon as possible. The error correction and the SSDI process can happen at the same time, but Social Security will not count corrected credits toward your SSDI requirement until the correction is finalized.

Credits and Your SSDI Payment Amount

Work credits determine whether you can receive SSDI, but they do not determine how much you receive. Your monthly payment is based on your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is calculated from your average earnings over your entire work history. Someone with 40 credits and high average earnings will receive more per month than someone with 40 credits and low average earnings.

The more you earned and the more years you worked, the higher your PIA will be. However, once you have enough credits to meet the requirement for your age, earning additional credits does not increase your SSDI payment. The payment is locked in based on your earnings record at the time your disability is approved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I earn more credits after I become disabled?

No. Once Social Security determines you are disabled, you stop earning new work credits. Your credit count is frozen at the number you had on the date your disability is determined to have started. If you return to work and your disability ends, you can resume earning credits.

What if I worked in another country?

Social Security may count work you did in certain countries under totalization agreements. You will need to provide documentation of that work, such as tax records or employment letters. Contact Social Security to discuss work outside the United States.

Do self-employment earnings count toward work credits?

Yes. Self-employment income reported on your tax return counts toward work credits the same way W-2 wages do. You must report the income to Social Security through your tax return for it to be credited to your record.

If I am denied SSDI, can I reapply after earning more credits?

If you were denied because you did not have enough credits, earning more credits will not help — your credit count is frozen once your disability is determined. However, if your denial was based on other reasons (like the medical evidence), you can appeal or reapply if your condition worsens or you have new medical evidence.

How long does it take Social Security to verify my credits?

Social Security updates your earnings record once per year, usually in the fall. If you are explore for SSDI, Social Security will use your current record as shown in their system. If you recently corrected an error, allow several months for the correction to appear on your official record.