Work credits do not expire if you earned them before age 24, but credits earned after that point expire if you go too long without working

The expiration rule for SSDI work credits depends on your age when you earned them. Credits you built up before turning 24 stay on your record permanently. Credits earned at 24 or older follow a different rule: they expire if you have a gap of more than a certain number of years without earning new credits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) calls this the "duration of work" requirement, and it is the reason some people who worked years ago cannot get SSDI now even though they have enough total credits.

This matters because SSDI requires both a minimum number of credits (usually 40, with 20 earned in the last 10 years) and proof that your work history is recent enough. A person with 50 credits but a 15-year gap in work may not meet the recency requirement, even though they have more than enough total credits. Understanding when your credits expire helps you know whether you still meet the work requirement or whether you need to return to work to rebuild your record.

Key Takeaways

  • Work credits earned before age 24 never expire and remain on your SSDI record for life.
  • Work credits earned at age 24 or older expire if you stop working for longer than a certain period, even if you have enough total credits.
  • The expiration window is typically one year for each credit you earned, with a maximum of 10 years, meaning credits can expire as soon as one year after you stop working.
  • You can check your work credit record and expiration dates by reviewing your Social Security Statement or contacting SSA directly.
  • If your credits have expired, you may still be able to rebuild your work record by returning to work and earning new credits.

The expiration rule: how long credits stay valid after you stop working

Once you turn 24, each work credit you earn has an expiration date. SSA uses a formula based on how many credits you have: you get one year of validity for each credit you earned, up to a maximum of 10 years. This means if you earned 8 credits in a year and then stopped working, those credits would expire after 8 years of no work. If you earned 40 credits over your career, your oldest credits would expire after 10 years of not working.

The expiration clock starts the year after you stop working. If you earned your last credit in 2015 and have not worked since, your credits begin expiring in 2016. Credits expire on a rolling basis — your oldest credits expire first, then the next oldest, and so on. This means you could theoretically have some credits still valid while others have already expired.

The purpose of this rule is to may support that SSDI goes to people whose work history is recent enough to show they were part of the workforce. Someone who worked steadily for 20 years and then stopped working in 1995 would not meet the recency requirement today, even if they had 40 total credits, because those credits would have expired long ago.

Credits earned before age 24 never expire

The one exception to the expiration rule is absolute: any work credit you earned before turning 24 stays on your record forever. SSA does not count these credits against the expiration window. This rule exists because younger workers may have interrupted work histories due to school, family circumstances, or other reasons beyond their control.

If you worked part-time as a teenager, earned credits in your early twenties, and then did not work again until your 40s, those early credits would still be there. They would count toward your total of 40 credits needed for SSDI, and they would not expire. Only the credits you earned after age 24 would be subject to the expiration rule.

How to learn about your credits have expired

The most direct way to see your work credit record and which credits are still valid is to request your Social Security Statement from SSA. You can create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov and view your statement online, which shows your earnings history year by year and the credits you earned each year. The statement does not explicitly label credits as "expired," but it shows your total credits and your earnings record, which you can use to calculate expiration.

You can also call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask a representative to review your work credit record with you. They can tell you how many credits you currently have that are still valid and when your oldest credits will expire. Bring your Social Security number and be ready to discuss your work history, especially any years when you did not work.

If you are explore for SSDI or have been denied, SSA will include information about your work credits in the decision letter. If the reason for denial is that your credits have expired or you do not have enough recent credits, the letter will explain this and may tell you how many more credits you would need to meet the requirement.

What happens if your credits expire before you meet the work requirement

If you have not worked in several years and your credits have expired, you may no longer meet the work requirement for SSDI even if you once had enough credits. This does not mean you can never get SSDI — it means you would need to return to work and earn new credits to rebuild your record. Each quarter you work and earn at least the minimum amount (which changes yearly; in 2024 it was $1,550 per quarter) counts as one new credit.

The timeline to rebuild depends on how many credits you need. If you need 20 recent credits (the standard requirement for most working-age adults), you would need to work and earn enough for at least five years. If you need fewer credits because you are younger, the timeline would be shorter. During this time, you would be working and not receiving SSDI, so this option is only realistic if you are able to work.

If you became disabled before your credits expired, you may still be able to get SSDI based on the credits you have, even if some have expired. The expiration rule applies to people who are explore for SSDI after a long gap in work. If you were already receiving SSDI when your credits expired, the expiration does not affect your ongoing benefits.

The difference between expiration and the 10-year recency rule

The expiration rule is sometimes confused with the "10-year recency requirement," but they are related but separate concepts. The recency requirement states that you must have earned at least 20 of your 40 required credits in the last 10 years. This is a separate test from expiration. You could have 40 total credits, but if only 15 of them were earned in the last 10 years, you would not meet the recency requirement.

The expiration rule makes the recency requirement automatic in many cases. If you have not worked in 10 years, your oldest credits will have expired, so you will not have 20 recent credits. But the recency rule can also disqualify you even if your credits have not technically expired. For example, if you earned 40 credits over your lifetime but earned only 5 of them in the last 10 years, you would fail the recency test even though some of your older credits might still be valid under the expiration rule.

Rebuilding your work record if you need to

If you discover that your credits have expired or that you do not have enough recent credits, you have the option to return to work. Each quarter you work and earn the minimum quarterly amount counts as one credit. In 2024, you could earn a maximum of four credits per year (one per quarter). You cannot earn more than four credits in a single year, even if you earn much more than the minimum.

Returning to work to rebuild your record is a significant decision, especially if you have a disability or health condition that makes work difficult. Before you decide to do this, consider whether you might be able to get SSDI under a different rule. For example, if you are blind, the work requirement is different. If you became disabled before age 22, you might be able to get benefits as a disabled adult child on a parent's record instead. Talking with a Social Security representative or a disability advocate can help you understand all your options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I check my work credits online?

Yes. Create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov and view your Social Security Statement, which shows your earnings history and the credits you earned each year. You can also call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to speak with a representative who can review your credits with you.

If I worked 20 years ago but have not worked since, are my credits gone?

Probably. If you earned those credits after age 24 and have not worked for more than 10 years, your oldest credits have expired. However, credits you earned before age 24 never expire. A representative at SSA can tell you exactly which credits are still valid on your record.

Do my credits expire if I am already receiving SSDI?

No. The expiration rule applies to people who are explore for SSDI or who are not yet receiving it. Once you are approved and receiving SSDI, your work credits do not expire, and the expiration rule does not affect your benefits.

How many credits do I need to earn to rebuild my record?

It depends on how many credits you currently have and how many you need to meet the requirement. Most working-age adults need 40 total credits with 20 earned in the last 10 years. You can earn a maximum of four credits per year, so rebuilding a record typically takes several years of work.

What if I became disabled but my credits expired before I applied for SSDI?

If your credits expired before you became disabled, you would not meet the work requirement for SSDI based on those expired credits. However, you may still have options. Talk to SSA or a disability advocate about whether you meet the requirement under a different rule, such as the rules for people who are blind or who became disabled before age 22.