The Basic Number: 40 Credits, With a Catch

You need 40 work credits to get SSDI in most cases. That sounds like a fixed target, but the real requirement has a timing piece built in: you must have earned 20 of those 40 credits in the 10 years before you become disabled.

This timing rule exists because Social Security wants to see that you worked recently, not that you worked a lot once and then stopped. If you earned 40 credits over 20 years and then became disabled, you would not have enough recent credits to may have access to. If you earned 40 credits in the last 10 years, you would.

The math is straightforward once you know how credits work. You earn one credit for every $1,550 of wages you report to Social Security in a year (the dollar amount changes each year, so the exact figure varies). You can earn a maximum of four credits per year, no matter how much you earn.

Key Takeaways

  • You need 40 total work credits, with at least 20 of them earned in the 10 years before you become disabled.
  • You earn one credit for every $1,550 of reported wages in a year, up to four credits per year.
  • The dollar amount that earns one credit changes annually, so the requirement is slightly different each year.
  • If you became disabled before age 24, you may need fewer credits — as few as six credits earned in the three years before disability.
  • Self-employment income counts the same way as wages, as long as you report it to Social Security.

How Credits Add Up Over Time

Because you can earn only four credits per year, reaching 40 credits takes a minimum of 10 years of work. Most people earn all four credits in a single year if they work full-time, which means 10 years of steady work gets you to 40.

The 20-credits-in-10-years rule is less restrictive than it sounds. If you worked full-time for 10 years and then stopped working, you would have 40 credits total and 20 of them would fall within the most recent 10 years. You would meet both requirements. The rule mainly catches people who had a long gap in work — for instance, someone who worked steadily for 15 years, then did not work for 10 years, then became disabled. That person might have 60 credits total but only a few in the recent 10-year window.

Social Security keeps a record of your credits on your earnings record. You can see how many credits you have earned by creating an account on ssa.gov and viewing your statement, or by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.

Younger Workers and Fewer Credits

If you become disabled before age 24, you do not need 40 credits. The requirement drops based on your age at the time you become disabled.

The rules are: if you become disabled between ages 19 and 23, you need 20 credits earned in the three years before disability. If you become disabled between ages 16 and 18, you need 8 credits earned in the three years before disability. If you become disabled before age 16, you do not need any work credits — your parents' or guardians' work record can support your claim instead.

These lower thresholds exist because younger workers have not had time to build up a long work history. Social Security recognizes that a 20-year-old who has worked part-time for three years may have earned only 12 credits, and that should be enough to show they were working before disability struck.

What Counts as Work for Credits

Work that counts toward SSDI credits is work where you pay Social Security taxes. This includes almost all W-2 employment — jobs where your employer withholds taxes from your paycheck. It also includes self-employment income, as long as you report it on your tax return and pay self-employment tax.

Work that does not count includes volunteer work, work done for a family business where you do not pay Social Security taxes, and informal cash work that is not reported to Social Security. If you worked but your employer did not report your wages, those wages do not count toward credits, even if you paid taxes on them later.

If you believe your employer failed to report your wages, you can contact Social Security with documentation — pay stubs, tax returns, or bank records showing deposits. Social Security can sometimes correct the record, but this process takes time and requires proof.

The Dollar Amount Changes Every Year

The amount of wages you need to earn one credit is adjusted each January based on the national average wage. In 2024, you need $1,550 in wages to earn one credit. In 2023, it was $1,470. In 2022, it was $1,510.

This annual adjustment means the credit requirement is slightly different each year you work. If you are tracking your progress toward 40 credits, use the current year's amount, which Social Security publishes on ssa.gov each January. The adjustment is usually small — a few dollars — but it does mean the threshold is not fixed.

Because you can earn only four credits per year, and the dollar amount for one credit is relatively low, most full-time workers earn all four credits in the first few months of the year and then stop accumulating credits for that year, even if they keep working.

Credits and Your Benefit Amount

The number of credits you have earned affects two separate things: whether you can get SSDI at all, and how much your monthly benefit will be.

To get SSDI, you need the 40 credits (or fewer if you are younger). But your monthly benefit amount is based on your average earnings over your entire work history, not on the number of credits. Someone with exactly 40 credits and high earnings will receive a higher monthly benefit than someone with 40 credits and low earnings. The credits are a threshold; your earnings history determines the size of the check.

This is different from Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is a needs-based program with no credit requirement. SSDI is based on your work record; SSI is based on your income and assets right now.

What Happens If You Do Not Have Enough Credits

If you become disabled and do not have 40 credits (or the age-adjusted amount if you are under 24), you cannot receive SSDI based on your own work record. You have two other possible paths.

First, you may be able to receive benefits based on a parent's or spouse's work record. If your parent is retired, disabled, or deceased, and they have enough credits, you may be able to claim on their record. The same applies if you are married and your spouse has enough credits. The benefit amount would be based on their earnings history, not yours.

Second, you may be able to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) if you meet the disability and income requirements. SSI does not require work credits. It is a needs-based program for people with disabilities, blindness, or age 65 and older, who have limited income and resources. The monthly amount is lower than SSDI, and it comes with different rules about what you can own and earn.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I check how many credits I have right now?

Yes. Create an account on ssa.gov, go to "my Social Security," and view your earnings record. It shows the credits you have earned each year. You can also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and ask them to tell you your credit count. They will ask you to verify your identity.

If I work part-time, will it take longer to get 40 credits?

Not necessarily. You earn one credit for every $1,550 in wages, regardless of whether you work full-time or part-time. If you earn $1,550 in a year, you get one credit. If you earn $6,200 in a year, you get four credits. Part-time work that pays $1,550 or more per year counts the same as full-time work.

Do credits expire if I stop working?

No. Credits do not expire. Once you earn a credit, it stays on your record forever. However, the 20-credits-in-10-years rule means that if you stop working for many years, those old credits may not be recent enough to meet the timing requirement when you become disabled.

What if I worked in another country?

Work in another country generally does not count toward SSDI credits unless you paid U.S. Social Security taxes on it. If you worked for a U.S. employer or a U.S. government agency while abroad, those wages count. If you worked for a foreign employer, they usually do not count. Contact Social Security if you have questions about specific work history.

Can I earn credits after I become disabled?

You can continue to work and earn income after you become disabled, but you cannot earn new credits that count toward the 40-credit requirement. The credits you need are determined at the moment you become disabled. Work you do after that date does not add to your SSDI may be able to access, though it may affect your benefit amount if you are already receiving SSDI.