In general, the Administration will request 40 work credits to get Social Security benefits. However, there are exceptions for SSDI benefits. Bear in mind that to earn up to 40 work credits you will need to work for at least 10 years.
In just one year, you can get 4 credits. Each credit is worth $1,730 in covered earnings. So, you will need to work and have earnings of at least $6,920 to get 4 work credits in 12 months.
Years of work to get SSDI ages 28-48
If you are before age 28, Social Security estimates that you may need about 1.5 years of work. This is just an estimate, so it is important that Social Security evaluates your personal circumstances and checks your eligibility for SSDI.
Workers with a disability at the age of 30, may need about 2 years of work. Having a disability when you are 34 means you will need to have earned about 12 work credits, that is, 3 years of work to get SSDI.
For age 38, you will need to have earned about 16 work credits. In this case, this will be about 4 years of work. Besides, you will need 5 years of work if you are 42 years old.
- age 44: 5.5 years of work
- age 46: 6 years of work
- age 48: 6.5 years of work
Years of work to get SSDI ages 50 -60
If you are 50 years old and have a disability, Social Security will request a minimum of 7 years of work to get SSDI. Compared to seniors aged 60, they will need 2.5 years of work extra. That is, you need 9.5 years of work to get SSDI at 60.
52-year-olds will need 7.5 years of work to receive SSDI benefits. At age 54, applicants with a disability will have to have worked for a minimum of 8 years in total. For age 56, that is just 8.5 years of work.
To get Social Security Disability Insurance at age 58 you will need a total of 36 work credits which is about 9 years of work. If you are not eligible for SSDI, apply for SSI and SNAP. SSI is compatible with Disability Insurance if you have a low income.