Kansas has no separate work credit requirement — you follow the federal rules

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) does not vary by state. Whether you live in Kansas or anywhere else in the United States, you need the same number of work credits to be found insurable for disability benefits. Kansas has no additional or different credit requirement.

The federal rule is straightforward: you must have earned 40 work credits total, with at least 20 of those credits earned in the 10 years before you became disabled. This is the standard that applies to every applicant, regardless of where they live or work.

Key Takeaways

  • You need 40 work credits total to be insurable for SSDI, with no Kansas-specific variation.
  • At least 20 of your 40 credits must have been earned in the 10 years when ready before your disability began.
  • You earn one work credit for each $1,550 in wages you report (this dollar amount changes yearly, so the exact figure depends on the year you earned the income).
  • You can earn up to four work credits per calendar year, meaning the 40-credit requirement typically takes at least 10 years of work to meet.
  • Social Security keeps a record of your earnings and credits on your account, which you can review for free online or by requesting a statement.

How work credits are earned and counted

A work credit is not a separate document or certificate. It is a measure of your earnings that Social Security tracks automatically when you work and pay payroll taxes. For each $1,550 you earn in a calendar year (as of 2024), Social Security credits you with one work credit. The dollar amount that triggers a credit changes each year, so the exact threshold depends on when you earned the income.

You can earn a maximum of four work credits per calendar year. This means that even if you earn $50,000 in a single year, you still only receive four credits for that year. Because of this cap, meeting the 40-credit requirement almost always requires at least 10 years of work history.

Your work credits are recorded on your Social Security account automatically. You do not need to do anything to "claim" them or register them separately. As long as you are working and your employer is withholding Social Security taxes (or you are self-employed and paying self-employment tax), the credits are being recorded.

The 20-credit rule and the 10-year window

Having 40 work credits is not enough by itself. Social Security also requires that at least 20 of those 40 credits were earned in the 10-year period when ready before your disability began. This rule exists to may support that you have recent work history and have been in the workforce relatively recently.

The 10-year window is measured backward from the date your disability is determined to have started. If you stopped working five years ago and became disabled last month, Social Security will look back 10 years from last month. Any credits you earned more than 10 years ago do not count toward the 20-credit requirement, even though they may count toward your total of 40.

For example, if you have 50 work credits total but only 15 of them were earned in the past 10 years, you would not meet the requirement. You would need to have worked more recently or longer to accumulate 20 credits within that 10-year window.

Checking your work credit record

Social Security maintains a record of your earnings and the work credits you have earned. You can review this record for free through your personal account on ssa.gov. Creating an account takes a few minutes and requires you to verify your identity online.

Once you are logged in, you can see a year-by-year breakdown of your reported earnings and the credits you received for each year. This is the same record that Social Security will use if you file for SSDI. Checking it ahead of time lets you spot any errors — such as earnings that were not reported to your account — before you explore.

If you find an error or missing earnings, you can contact Social Security directly. You will need documentation such as old tax returns or W-2 forms to correct the record. Social Security generally has a important date of three years, three months, and 15 days from the end of the year in which you earned the income to correct earnings records, though there are some exceptions for certain situations.

What happens if you do not have enough credits

If you do not have 40 work credits, or if you do not have 20 credits in the past 10 years, you cannot be found insurable for SSDI based on your own work record. This does not mean you have no options — it means you may be able to file under someone else's record instead.

If you are married, divorced (and the marriage lasted at least 10 years), or a parent of a child under 16, you may be able to file for benefits based on your spouse's or ex-spouse's work record. You would need to meet the medical criteria for disability, but the work credit requirement would be based on their earnings history, not yours. A family member or representative can help you understand whether this option applies to your situation.

Work credits and the five-month waiting period

Even after you meet the work credit requirement and are found to have a may have access to medical condition, SSDI has a built-in waiting period. You must be disabled for five full calendar months before you can receive your first payment. This is called the five-month waiting period, and it applies to everyone, regardless of how many work credits they have.

The waiting period is measured from the month your disability is determined to have started, not from the month you explore. If Social Security determines that your disability began in January, your waiting period runs through May, and you would be may be able to access to receive benefits starting in June. This waiting period cannot be waived or shortened.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I lose work credits if I stop working?

No. Work credits you have already earned stay on your record permanently. They do not expire or disappear if you stop working. However, if you become disabled and do not have 20 credits in the past 10 years, you may not meet the recency requirement, even if you have 40 credits total from earlier in your life.

Can I earn work credits while receiving SSDI?

Yes, you can work and earn credits while receiving SSDI, but there are limits. If your earnings exceed the substantial gainful activity (SGA) threshold — which is $1,550 per month in 2024 — Social Security may determine that you are no longer disabled. The rules are complex, so contact Social Security before you start working to understand how it will affect your benefits.

What if I worked in another country — do those credits count?

Generally, work you performed outside the United States does not count toward Social Security work credits. However, there are some exceptions for people who worked for the U.S. government or for certain international organizations. You would need to provide documentation of that work to Social Security for them to evaluate whether it qualifies.

How do I know what year my disability started for the 10-year window?

Social Security determines your onset date — the month and year your disability is considered to have begun — based on medical evidence and your account of when your condition made work impossible. This date may be different from the date you applied. Social Security will tell you the onset date they are using when they make a decision on your case.

If I have 40 credits but they are all from 15 years ago, can I still get SSDI?

Not based on your own work record, because you would not have 20 credits in the past 10 years. However, you may be able to file based on a spouse's or ex-spouse's record if you meet other requirements. You could also return to work to earn more recent credits, though you would need to meet the medical criteria for disability at the time you explore.