You can check your work credits on your Social Security account or by calling Social Security directly

Your work credits are recorded in the Social Security system based on your earnings history. The fastest way to see how many you have is to create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov and view your earnings record. You can also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask to speak with a representative who can tell you your credit count over the phone. If you prefer to see everything in writing, you can request a printed statement by mail, though this takes longer.

When you check, you will see not just your total credits but also which years you earned them. This matters because SSDI has a recency requirement—you generally need to have earned credits in at least five of the last ten years before you become disabled. Seeing your year-by-year record helps you understand whether you meet that requirement.

Key Takeaways

  • You earn one work credit for every $1,550 in wages you report to Social Security in a calendar year (the dollar amount changes each year, so check the current figure on ssa.gov).
  • You can earn a maximum of four credits per year, regardless of how much you earn.
  • Most people need 40 credits total to receive SSDI, but the exact number depends on your age when you become disabled.
  • Your my Social Security account shows your credits and earnings history in real time, updated quarterly.
  • If you find errors in your earnings record, you can dispute them with Social Security, but you must act within a set timeframe.

How work credits are counted and what they mean

A work credit is tied to your earnings, not to time worked. In 2024, you earn one credit for every $1,550 you earn and report to Social Security through payroll taxes (the threshold amount increases most years). You can earn no more than four credits in a single calendar year, even if you earn much more than that amount. This means that if you earn $6,200 in a year, you still only get four credits—the maximum.

The credits you earn stay on your record permanently. They do not expire or disappear if you stop working. This is important because SSDI does not require you to have worked recently—it requires you to have worked enough at some point in your life, plus to have worked recently enough that your disability is considered current.

Why the number of credits you need varies by age

Social Security assumes that younger workers have had less time to build up credits, so it requires fewer. If you become disabled at age 24, you need only 6 credits (earned in the three years before you became disabled). If you become disabled at age 31 or older, you generally need 40 credits, with at least 20 of them earned in the ten years before your disability began.

The exact requirement depends on your age at the time you become disabled. Social Security has a chart that shows the requirement for each age between 24 and 62. You can find this chart on ssa.gov or ask a representative when you call. If you are unsure whether you have enough credits for your age, Social Security can tell you during the same call where you check your balance.

What to do if your earnings record has errors

Errors in your earnings record are not common, but they do happen—a wage report might be posted to the wrong year, or an employer might report the wrong amount. If you spot an error when you review your record, you should report it to Social Security as soon as possible. You have a time limit to correct errors: generally, you must report them within three years, three months, and fifteen days of the year in which the wages were earned.

To report an error, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and explain which year and which amount is wrong. Have your tax return or pay stubs from that year ready to show as proof. Social Security will contact your employer to verify the correct amount. If the employer confirms the error, Social Security will correct your record. If the employer does not respond or disputes the correction, Social Security will tell you how to appeal.

How to read your earnings record when you find it

When you view your earnings record in your my Social Security account or receive it by mail, you will see a year-by-year list of your reported wages and the credits you earned each year. The record shows your gross wages (before taxes) for each year you worked. Next to each year, you will see the number of credits earned—usually one, two, three, or four.

Look for years where you earned zero credits. These are years you either did not work or earned below the credit threshold. If you see a year where you know you worked but the record shows zero credits, that is an error worth investigating. Also check that the wage amounts look roughly correct compared to what you remember earning or what your tax returns show.

What happens if you do not have enough credits yet

If you are not yet disabled but are checking your credits to plan ahead, you can see how many more you need. If you are already disabled but do not have enough credits, you cannot receive SSDI. However, you may be able to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) instead, which is a different program that does not require work credits. SSI is based on financial need rather than work history.

If you are close to having enough credits—for example, you need 40 and have 38—you might be able to earn the remaining credits by continuing to work, if your disability allows it. Social Security can tell you exactly how many more credits you need and how much you would need to earn to get them.

Why your my Social Security account is the easiest way to check

Creating a my Social Security account takes about ten minutes and gives you access to your information whenever you need it. You can check your credits, see your earnings history, and get an estimate of your future benefits all in one place. The account is find and uses multi-factor authentication to protect your information.

If you do not have internet access or prefer not to create an online account, calling Social Security is just as reliable. A representative can read your credit count to you over the phone and answer questions about what you see. You can also request a printed statement by mail, though it will take several weeks to arrive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I lose credits if I stop working?

No. Credits you have already earned stay on your record forever. They do not disappear if you take time off work, change jobs, or retire. However, if you become disabled, Social Security will check whether you have earned credits recently enough—usually within the last ten years—to show that your disability is current.

Can I earn credits from self-employment?

Yes. If you are self-employed, you report your net earnings to Social Security through self-employment tax on your tax return. You earn credits the same way as W-2 employees do—one credit for every $1,550 earned (in 2024). You can still earn a maximum of four credits per year.

What if I worked in another country?

Social Security generally only counts credits earned while you worked in the United States and paid U.S. Social Security taxes. Some countries have agreements with the U.S. that allow work credits earned there to count, but this varies. Ask Social Security whether your foreign work can be credited.

How often does my earnings record get updated?

Your my Social Security account updates quarterly with new earnings information. If you just earned credits in the current year, they may not show up when ready—there is usually a lag of a few months while employers report wages to Social Security.

Can I check someone else's work credits?

You can only view your own earnings record unless you have legal authority to act on someone else's behalf, such as power of attorney or guardianship. If you are helping someone explore for SSDI, they will need to check their own record or authorize you to view it.