American workers who have just found out they have a medical condition must be learning the ropes of the SSDI program. Social Security only allows workers to get retirement benefits at 62 when they have earned 40 work credits. However, it is a completely different rule if you have a qualifying disability and you are younger than 62.
To earn 1 work credit you must have earnings covered of $1,810 in 2025. In total, you can earn up to 4 work credits. So, you will need to have $7,240 in covered earnings to get 4 Social Security credits. Many SSDI applicants have a disability before age 30, so here is what SSA requires you to have to get payments in 2025.
Work credits you need to get SSDI payments
For your information, you will need to meet a recent work test and a duration work test. If you do not meet it, you will not qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance payment.
Workers with a disability who are before age 24 may be eligible if they have earned 6 work credits in the three-year- period ending when their medical condition begins.
Some workers may be aged 24 to 31 so they could qualify if they have credit for working half the time between age 21 and the moment when their medical condition started.
Many other workers may be aged 31 or older. Therefore, they must have gotten a minimum of 20 credits in the ten-year period right before your medical condition started.
List for SSDI applicants who have worked
This list shows the number of years of Social Security credits you will need to meet the duration of work test based on age and the moment the medical condition started. For your information, this is just an estimate and does not cover all the possible situations and does not mean that you qualify, only the Social Security Administration can determine so:
If your disability begins at………. in general, you will need:
Before age 28: 1.5 years of work
Age 30: 2 years
Age 34: 3 years
Age 38: 4 years
Age 42: 5 years
Age 44: 5.5 years
Age 46: 6 years
Age 48: 6.5 years
Age 50: 7 years
Age 52: 7.5 years
Age 54: 8 years
Age 56: 8.5 years
Age 58: 9 years
Age 60: 9.5 years
