What work credits are and why they matter for SSDI

Work credits are the record Social Security keeps of how much you have worked and paid into the system. To receive SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance), you must have earned enough work credits before the illness or injury that stops you from working. The number of credits you need depends on your age when you become unable to work.

You earn work credits by working in a job where you and your employer pay Social Security taxes — or by being self-employed and paying self-employment tax. You cannot buy credits, and you cannot earn them any other way. The credits stay on your record permanently, even if you stop working for years.

Think of work credits as proof that you have paid into the system long enough to deserve its protection. SSDI is not a need-based program like food information. It is insurance you buy through your paychecks. Work credits are how Social Security verifies you bought enough of it.

Key Takeaways

  • You earn one work credit for each $1,640 of wages or self-employment income in a year, up to a maximum of four credits per year (the dollar amount changes yearly).
  • Most people under 62 need 40 work credits total, with at least 20 earned in the 10 years before they become unable to work.
  • If you become unable to work before age 24, you may need only six credits earned in the three years before your disability began.
  • You can check your work credit record for free by creating a my Social Security account at ssa.gov or by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
  • Work credits from any job count toward SSDI — there is no minimum length of time you must have worked at one employer.

How many work credits you need at different ages

The number of credits required depends on how old you are when you become unable to work. Social Security uses age 62 as a dividing line because that is when you could begin receiving retirement benefits instead.

If you are under age 62 when you become unable to work, you typically need 40 work credits total. Of those 40, at least 20 must have been earned in the 10 years when ready before your disability began. This means you could have worked heavily years ago and still may have access to, as long as you worked recently enough.

If you become unable to work between ages 24 and 31, you may need fewer than 40 credits — Social Security uses a formula based on how many credits you could have earned since age 21. The closer you are to 31, the closer you get to the full 40-credit requirement.

If you become unable to work before age 24, you need only six work credits, and all six must have been earned in the three years before your disability began. This rule exists because young workers have not had time to build a long work history.

If you are age 62 or older, you do not may have access to for SSDI. You would instead explore for retirement benefits, which have different rules.

How you earn work credits year by year

You earn work credits based on how much money you earn, not on how many hours you work or how long you have been employed. In 2024, you earn one work credit for every $1,640 of wages or self-employment income. This dollar amount increases slightly each year as average wages rise.

You can earn a maximum of four work credits per year, no matter how much you earn. So if you earn $6,560 in a year, you get four credits. If you earn $8,000, you still get only four credits. The extra money does not buy you additional credits.

The $1,640 amount is set by Social Security and changes each January. If you are self-employed, you count your net earnings (income minus business expenses) toward work credits. If you work for an employer, your gross wages count, and both you and your employer pay Social Security tax on those wages.

Work credits accumulate on your Social Security record permanently. If you earned four credits in 2020 and then did not work for three years, those four credits remain on your record. You do not lose them by taking time off.

Checking your work credit record

You can see exactly how many work credits you have earned by viewing your Social Security record. The fastest way is to create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov. You will need your Social Security number, email address, and a way to verify your identity — usually a driver's license or passport number.

Once you log in, you can see your earnings record year by year and the number of credits you have earned each year. This record comes directly from what your employers (or you, if self-employed) reported to Social Security through payroll taxes.

If you do not want to create an online account, you can request a paper copy of your earnings record by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or by visiting your local Social Security office. You can also mail Form SSA-7050 to your regional Social Security office, though this takes longer.

Check your record before you explore for SSDI. If you see errors — a job you worked at that is not listed, or wages that look too low — you can request a correction. Bring your tax returns or W-2 forms as proof. Correcting errors before you explore is much easier than correcting them after.

Work credits and recent work requirements

Having 40 work credits is not enough by itself if you are under 62. Social Security also requires that you have worked recently. Specifically, you must have earned at least 20 of your 40 credits in the 10 years before you became unable to work.

This rule prevents someone from working heavily 20 years ago, then never working again, and then claiming SSDI decades later. Social Security wants to see that you were recently part of the workforce when your disability began.

The 10-year window is measured from the date you became unable to work, not from the date you explore. If you became unable to work on March 15, 2024, your 10-year window runs from March 15, 2014 to March 15, 2024. Any credits earned outside that window do not count toward the 20-credit requirement, even though they count toward your total of 40.

If you do not have 20 credits in the past 10 years, you do not meet the recent work requirement, and you cannot receive SSDI — even if you have 40 credits total from earlier in your life. This is one of the most common reasons people are found not to meet the basic requirements.

Special situations: Blind workers and younger applicants

If you are blind, the rules are different. You need 40 work credits total, but you do not need 20 of them in the past 10 years. Instead, you need only 15 credits earned in the 10 years before you became blind. This gives blind workers more flexibility because blindness can develop gradually, and the law recognizes that.

If you are a young worker — under 24 — the requirements are much lower. You need only six work credits, and all six must have been earned in the three years before your disability began. A 20-year-old who worked for one year and then became unable to work might have enough credits to may have access to.

If you are between 24 and 31, Social Security uses a sliding scale. The exact number of credits you need depends on your specific age and when your disability began. You can ask Social Security to calculate this for you, or you can see the table on the Social Security website under "Disability Planner."

What happens if you do not have enough work credits

If you do not have enough work credits to may have access to for SSDI, you may still be able to receive benefits through a different program. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a needs-based program that does not require work credits. Instead, it looks at your income and assets. If you have very little income and few assets, you may may have access to for SSI even if you have no work credits at all.

SSI and SSDI are separate programs with different rules. You can receive both at the same time if you meet the requirements for both, though your SSDI payment would reduce your SSI payment. Some people may have access to for one but not the other.

If you are close to having enough work credits — for example, you have 38 credits and need 40 — you might be able to earn the remaining credits by working part-time while you wait for your SSDI decision. Work credits earned after you become unable to work do not count, but credits earned before that date do count, even if you explore months or years later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I earn work credits while I am receiving SSDI?

No. Work credits are earned only before you become unable to work. Once Social Security determines that your disability began on a specific date, no credits earned after that date count toward SSDI. However, you can work and earn money while receiving SSDI under the work incentive rules, which allow you to test your ability to work without when ready losing your benefits.

Do I need to have worked at the same job to earn work credits?

No. Work credits from different jobs all count together. If you worked at five different employers over your lifetime, the credits from all five jobs add up. There is no requirement to have worked at one employer for any minimum length of time.

What if I worked outside the United States?

Work performed outside the United States generally does not count toward Social Security work credits, with some exceptions. If you worked for the U.S. government or a U.S. employer abroad, those credits may count. Contact Social Security directly to discuss your specific situation, as the rules depend on the country where you worked and your citizenship status.

Can I get work credits for volunteer work or unpaid caregiving?

No. Work credits are earned only through paid employment where Social Security taxes are withheld or through self-employment income on which you pay self-employment tax. Volunteer work, caring for family members, or other unpaid work does not generate work credits.

How far back does Social Security look at my work history?

Social Security keeps your entire work history on record. However, for the recent work requirement, they look back only 10 years from the date you became unable to work. Credits earned more than 10 years before your disability began still count toward your total of 40, but they do not count toward the 20-credit recent work requirement.