How Many Work Credits Do You Need For SSDI?

Key takeaways

• You must have enough work credits to qualify for Social Security disability insurance (SSDI).

• How many credits you need, and how recently you need to have earned them, depends on your age when you became disabled. But generally you need a certain number of total credits, and a certain number (up to 20) that were earned in the 10 years ending with the year you became disabled.

• The more work history you have, the more likely you are to have enough work credits to qualify for SSDI. However, there are some exceptions and special scenarios that are good to be aware of.

• You earn work credits by working and paying Social Security taxes on your earnings.

If you have worked a full-time job in the United States, you are likely earning work credits whether you realized it or not. These work credits are based on your income, and they’re part of what makes you eligible for disability benefits. 

But not every situation is cut and dried. Work credits only come from jobs where you paid Social Security taxes, so people who have worked for some state or local government agencies, are self-employed, or haven't worked in a while might not have work credits or recent work credits, making things tricky if you’re hoping to apply for SSDI.

Here’s what to expect in different situations and how many work credits you need for SSDI.

How many work credits do you need for SSDI?

According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), how many total credits you need, and how recently you need to have earned them, depends on your age when you became disabled. But generally you need a certain number of total credits (up to 38), and a certain number (up to 20) them have to have been recent credits, earned in the 10 years ending with the year you became disabled.

The total number of credits you need goes up with the age you became disabled, and maxes out at 9.5 years, or 38 credits, for people who became disabled at age 60. You can find the exact number out from Social Security here. The good news is that people who have worked most of their adult lives almost always have enough total credits. 

 The recent credits rules are a bit easier to remember. For most people, if you’ve worked five or more years out of the past 10 years, you should have enough recent credits for SSDI. 

Younger people need fewer recent work credits.If you’re 24 years old or younger and you’ve worked 1.5 years in the past three, you’re most likely covered. Similarly, if you’re 24-30 years old and you’ve worked half the time since you turned 21, you’re likely covered.

Applicants who are legally blind don’t need recent credits, just enough total credits to apply.

The more work history you have, the more likely you are to have enough work credits to qualify for SSDI. However, there are some exceptions and special scenarios that are good to be aware of.

Self-employed

If you're self-employed, you only earn work credits if you report your income and pay self-employment tax when you file your taxes. That includes work like:

• Construction or landscaping

• Hair styling or beauty services

• Hauling or delivery

• Rideshare driving (like Uber or Lyft)

• Freelancing or other gig work

Government employees

If you work for the state or a local government, you might need to opt-in to SSA taxes depending on where you live. Not all states automatically deduct these taxes. Some other government jobs, like certain states’ teachers, police, or firefighters, offer a pension instead. That means you could be working and still not be earning work credits. If you're not sure, check your pay stub for a Social Security or 'OASDI' deduction, look into state-specific SSDI policies, or look up your work history in your my Social Security account at ssa.gov.

Date Last Insured (DLI)

Date Last Insured (DLI) refers to the date you last had enough total and recent credits to qualify for SSDI. To be eligible for SSDI. This means that people may still be eligible for a few years after they stop working.

If you worked most of your adult life, and for five consecutive years before you stopped, you can find your DLI by taking the last year you worked and adding five years to it. For instance, if you worked from 2008 to 2018, your DLI would be 2023. In other words, 2023 would be the last year you’d be eligible for SSDI.

You can find your exact DLI by calling your local field office and asking the agent for your Date Last Insured.

What are work credits for disability?

Work credits for disability are earned from the SSA based on your income. For every $1,890 in your paycheck in 2026 (whether that’s wages or self-employment income), you get one credit, according to the SSA. This maxes out at four credits per year — so when you’ve earned $7,560, you won’t be able to earn any additional credits that calendar year. Earning more than this does increase your potential monthly benefit.

In short, part of the Social Security tax taken out of your paychecks goes toward disability insurance. As you work and pay into it over time, you earn the credits you need to qualify for SSDI if you ever become unable to work.

How to check how many work credits you have

You can find out how many work credits you have by using the SSA.gov website. You’ll also be able to access an estimate of how much your SSDI payment would be.

To check your work credits, follow these steps:

• Visit the SSA’s mySocialSecurity page.

• Log in to an existing account or create one using your Social Security number (SSN).

• Scroll down to the section titled “Eligibility and Earnings.”

If this section states that you have enough credits to qualify for disability benefits, you can apply for SSDI. This page will also tell you approximately how much money you would receive per month if you apply for disability now. If you haven’t applied yet, make a note of this number, since it can be harder to access once you have an application pending.

What if you do not have enough work credits?

If you don't have enough work credits, you won't qualify for SSDI, but if you have very limited income and assets, you may still be able to get disability benefits through SSI (Supplemental Security Income).

SSI works differently from SSDI. SSDI is based on your work history, while SSI is a federal program for people with disabilities who have little income and few assets. Because it doesn't depend on work credits, SSI is open to people regardless of work history, including those who haven't worked recently, and even people who have never had a job. You'll still need to meet the same medical requirements as SSDI.

Check the full requirements for SSI to see if you qualify.

Alternatively, if you are close to the credits needed, and are able to work a limited amount of hours, you may be able to build up additional work credits before applying for SSDI.

Bottom line

To decide whether you're eligible for SSDI, the SSA looks at how many work credits you've earned. How many credits you need, and how recently you need to have earned them, depends on your age when you became disabled. But generally you need a certain number of total credits, and a certain number (up to 20) that were earned in the 10 years ending with the year you became disabled. There are some exceptions, though, especially for younger workers.

The more work history you have, the more likely you are to have enough work credits to qualify for SSDI. However, there are some exceptions and special scenarios that are good to be aware of.

Understanding work credits for SSDI

Work credits can be confusing. How many you need depends on your age and when you last worked, and some jobs don't earn credits at all. A lawyer can review your work history, tell you whether you have enough credits for SSDI, and help you figure out whether SSI might be a better fit. Talking to Atticus is free, and we can often point you in the right direction. Take our free 2-minute quiz to see if you might qualify.