SSDI Eligibility
Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, is a federal program that pays monthly benefits to those who cannot work because of a disability. To qualify, you must have a condition that complies with Social Security’s definition of disability and have a sufficient history of paying into the system through payroll deductions. According to the Social Security Administration, a qualifying disability is a severe medical condition that prevents you from working and is expected to last at least a year or cause your death. The work history requirements will vary by age.
- To get SSDI benefits, you need a severe medical condition that prevents working and must have paid enough into Social Security.
- You earn work credits by paying Social Security taxes on your earnings; the number you need depends on your age when you become disabled.
- Many SSDI applications are rejected for technical reasons, like not having enough work credits or application errors.
- SSDI defines disability as a condition that stops you from any significant work, lasting at least a year or leading to death.
- Disability Advice helps avoid mistakes in applications and assists in applying or appealing to get benefits on the first try.
As many as 67 percent of disability applications are denied, according to the Social Security Administration’s 2022 statistical report. Year after year, the largest percentage of denials are issued not for medical reasons but for technical ones. Such errors include an insufficient history of paying into the system or errors in the application process. At Disability Advice, we can help you avoid the common mistakes that lead to denials and help you get approved the first time.
How Much Do You Need to Have Worked to Qualify for SSDI?
Before you can receive Social Security Disability, you must be “insured” under the program. This means that you have earned the minimum number of work credits required based on your age when your disability began. In general, workers over 30 need to have worked at least five years during the ten years immediately preceding their disability. However, the number of work credits you earn each year can influence how many years of work history you need.
SSDI Work Credits
Rather than simply counting the years you worked, the Social Security Administration gives you work credits for working at jobs that deduct Social Security taxes. In 2025, you earn one work credit for each $1,810 you earn. The total earnings required to earn one credit increases slightly each year. You can earn up to four credits per year. In 2025, you earn four credits when your total yearly earnings reach $7,240.
Your work credits stay on your record for life. You can find out how many work credits you have earned by signing up for an online Social Security account.
When evaluating your work credits, the Social Security Administration applies two tests to determine whether you are eligible for SSDI benefits, both of which need to be true to be eligible:
- The recent work test
- The duration work test
The Recent Work Test
The recent work test assesses how many work credits you earned during the years immediately preceding your disability. The requirement varies based on the age at which your disability began.
For example, if you were 31 or older, you need at least 20 work credits during the 10 most recent years before you became disabled. Since you can only earn four credits per year, you must have worked for at least five of the last ten years. If you earned fewer than four credits per year, you need more than five years of work history during this period to reach the required 20 credits.
Workers who become disabled at younger ages can pass the recent work test with fewer credits. For example, if you became disabled before you turned 24, the SSA only looks at your work history for the last three years. You need just six credits, which amount to one-and-a-half years of work if you earned the maximum number of credits in one year and at least two credits in another year during the three years before your disability started.
The Duration Work Test
The duration work test requires you to have earned enough work credits in your lifetime, regardless of how long ago. As with the recent work test, the minimum number of credits required for the duration test varies based on age. For example, if you became disabled before you turned 28, you need six lifetime work credits. However, if your disability began at age 50, you need 28. If your disability began after you became 62 or older, you need 40 credits.
The time it takes to earn the required work credits varies based on how many you earn each year. If you earn the full four credits every year, you’ll reach your eligibility level in the shortest time possible. Below are examples of how long it takes to earn the required work credits if you earn the maximum of four credits per year.
| Number of Required Work Credits | Minimum Work History |
|---|---|
| 6 | 1.5 years |
| 20 | 5 years |
| 24 | 6 years |
| 30 | 7.5 years |
| 36 | 9 years |
| 40 | 10 years |
If you earn fewer than four work credits per year, you will need more years of work to reach the eligibility level.
How Does Social Security Define Disability?
The Social Security Administration defines disability as a medical condition that meets all of the following criteria:
- It causes a severe disability that prevents an individual from working in their previous job or any other substantial gainful activity.
- It is expected to last at least one full year or cause your death.
- It is recognized in the SSA’s official Listing of Impairments as a disabling condition or determined by Social Security to be as severe as the conditions in the Listing of Impairments.
Social Security Disability does not provide benefits for partial or short-term disability.
Substantial gainful activity is a job in which you earn more than $1,620 per month. These are 2024 amounts, and Social Security adjusts them annually according to the national average wage index.
You can gauge whether you qualify for Social Security Disability benefits by asking yourself the five questions below.
1. Are You Working?
If you are working and your earnings exceed $1,620 a month, you are ineligible. If you are not working or earning these amounts, proceed to question 2.
2. Is Your Condition Severe?
Your condition must be so severe that you cannot work for at least 12 months, or the condition must be a terminal condition expected to result in your death. If your answer is yes, proceed to question 3.
3. Is Your Condition Found in the List of Disabling Conditions or as Severe as Those Listed?
If you meet all other qualifications and your disability is listed in Social Security’s Listing of Impairments, you likely qualify. However, having a condition on the list does not guarantee approval, as you must meet the other requirements.
Meanwhile, if your condition is not listed, you may still qualify if your condition is as severe as the listed conditions.
If your answer is yes, please go to question 4.
4. Can You Do the Work You Did Previously?
If you can still do enough of the work you used to do to earn at least $1,620 per month, you will not qualify for SSDI. If your answer is no, you may proceed to question 5.
5. Can You Do Any Type of Work?
Even if you cannot do the same work you did before, you are ineligible for SSDI if you can do any other work amounting to substantial gainful activity. If your answer to this question is no, you may be eligible for SSDI.
Other Situations
Social Security has different rules for certain groups of people who may qualify for Social Security disability benefits.
Blindness and SSDI
Blindness is listed in Social Security’s Blue Book and is a qualifying disability. The Social Security Administration defines blindness as:
- Vision that is lower than 20/200 in your better eye, even with glasses or contacts
- A field of vision that measures less than 20 degrees
Applicants who are blind must meet the same criteria for work credits and disability as all other applicants. However, if you receive SSDI because of blindness, you may earn more money without losing your benefits. The 2025 substantial gainful activity limit for people who are blind is $2,700, compared to $1,620 for other beneficiaries. You can also work in a business you own without the income counting against you. That is not the case for beneficiaries who are disabled but not blind.
Your benefit amount is based on your lifetime earnings. If you were blind during part of the time you worked and your blindness reduced your earnings, you can ask the Social Security Administration to exclude those years when calculating your benefits. This is known as a disability freeze and could increase your monthly benefit payments.
Survivors and SSDI Benefits
When a worker passes away, Social Security pays benefits to eligible survivors, which may include the following:
- A widow or widower aged 60 or older
- A disabled widow or widower aged 50 or older
- A spouse at any age caring for your child under age 16
- A former divorced spouse who has not remarried and meets the above criteria
- A child under 18 or up to age 19 if still in school
- A dependent parent aged 62 or older
The payment depends on the specific characteristics and number of family members. The total benefit awarded to all family members may not exceed the maximum family benefit amount, which varies based on a special formula Social Security uses.
Benefits for Family Members of SSDI Beneficiaries
If you receive SSDI, your family members may also be eligible for SSDI benefits while you are living. If your spouse is 62 and older and receiving Social Security benefits lower than your disability, your spouse may be eligible for additional benefits based on your earnings record. If you are divorced, your ex-spouse over 62 may qualify for benefits on your record if they do not receive benefits equal to or higher than yours.
Children under 18 may also be eligible for benefits. To qualify, they must be unmarried and under the age of 18. If they are still in high school, they may receive benefits on your record until they turn 19. Children can continue receiving benefits on your record into adulthood if they have disabilities that meet Social Security’s definition of a disability.
Benefits for Children with Disabilities
Social Security pays disability benefits to disabled children and adults who have been disabled since childhood under slightly different rules.
Children Under 18
Children under 18 who still live with their parents may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, a needs-based disability program administered by the Social Security Administration. To qualify, the child must have a severe mental or physical impairment causing severe functional limitations, which is expected to last for at least 12 months or result in death. If the child is blind, Social Security does not require the condition to last 12 months.
Additionally, the child must have limited resources. If the child lives at home with parents, the Social Security Administration will assume some of the parents’ resources are available to the child. This is known as deeming. The parents’ income must be below the limits established by Social Security. These amounts vary based on the number of people in the household and the types of income the parents receive.
Once the child turns 18, Social Security will reconsider the child’s eligibility for SSI. If the child was previously ineligible because the parent’s income exceeded program guidelines, the child may become eligible upon turning 18.
Adults Over 18 with Disabilities Since Childhood
Adults over 18 with disabilities that began before age 22 may be eligible for SSDI based on a parent’s work record if one of the following is true:
- At least one parent receives disability or retirement benefits through Social Security.
- At least one parent passed away after earning enough work credits to qualify for benefits.
The adult child’s disability must meet the same criteria as any other adult. The application will be processed in the same way.
How Long Do SSDI Benefits Last?
Your SSDI will generally continue until you reach your full retirement age unless you become ineligible due to one of the following reasons:
- Your condition has improved, and the Social Security Administration determines you are no longer disabled.
- You have returned to work and are earning an amount exceeding the substantial gainful activity limits.
You may wonder what happens to your SSDI after you turn 65. Turning 65 does not impact your disability benefits. While 65 was formerly the full retirement age, this has changed. As of 2024, the full retirement age for anyone born after 1954 is 66 or 67, depending on your birth year.
Keep Your Benefits While Attempting to Return to Work
You may be able to go back to work on a trial basis without losing your SSDI. The Social Security Administration allows you to attempt a trial work period for nine months. The nine months need not be consecutive but must be completed over five years. In 2025, any month you earn $1,160 or more counts as one of the nine months.
After completing the nine-month trial, you will enter a 36-month extended period of eligibility. During this period, you receive benefits in months when you do not meet the substantial gainful activity limit but do not receive benefits in months when you do meet the limit.
If your earnings are still over the limit after three years, your disability benefits will end. If you cannot continue working at any point within five years of your benefits ending, you can request an expedited reinstatement. After five years, you must submit a new disability application and meet all eligibility requirements.
Contact Us For Help
If you have a disability that prevents you from working, you may qualify for Social Security Disability. We can confirm your eligibility and help you apply for benefits. Whether you need to submit an application for the first time or appeal a denial, we can answer your questions and connect you with knowledgeable attorneys who know the Social Security system inside and out. Contact us today to get started.
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- Ensure you have all documents
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