People who are unable to work because they have a qualifying disability or medical condition may turn to the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefit program. It is administered by the Social Security Administration to provide monthly benefits to applicants who meet specific standards.
One of the requirements to qualify for SSDI is having enough work credits, which means that the applicant has worked and paid into the Social Security program through their taxes. It’s possible for a person to earn up to four credits per calendar year. This depends on the total wages, not the number of months worked, which allows seasonal workers the opportunity to build credits for SSDI.
How do credits affect an application?
Work credits don’t expire, so people who worked decades ago will still have those on their record. Because of this, as well as the annual cap, eligibility criteria aren’t based solely on the number of credits. When the credits were earned also has a role in the process.
Typically, adults need to have 40 work credits to qualify for SSDI. Of those, 20 must have been earned during the 10 years prior to becoming disabled. In some cases, workers are too young to have the required number of credits. In those cases, it may be possible to qualify for SSDI.
Determining whether a person qualifies for SSDI benefits can be a challenging undertaking. Anyone who’s going to apply should ensure they understand what they need to do for their application. Working with someone familiar with the SSDI application and appeal process may be beneficial.