How to Qualify for Social Security Disability (SSDI) Benefits

The Social Security Administration has a number of requirements you must meet before qualifying for Social Security Disability

Author: Attorney Lloyd Bemis
Updated 4/25/2024

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a federal program that pays you monthly benefits if you are insured under the program and become disabled before you reach retirement age and cannot work.

A. Financial Requirements:

You must first be insured for disability benefits on the date that you become disabled.

There is a two-part test for determining whether you are insured:

1. The “Duration of work test”:

Social Security will want to know if you have worked long enough to be covered under SSDI (the “duration of work test”); and

2. The “Recent work test”:

Social Security will check to determine whether you worked recently enough for the work to actually count toward coverage .

If you have not worked recently enough or long enough to satisfy their requirements Social Security will deny your claim.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a federal program that pays you monthly benefits if you are insured under the program and become disabled before you reach retirement age and cannot work.

1. Duration of Work Test

Instead of using “years worked” to determine whether you have earned enough to be covered, SSDI uses a system based on “credits.” You must have earned the required number of credits while you were working in order to qualify for disability benefits.

  What are work credits?

SSDI work credits are calculated based on your earnings, as long as those earnings were subject to Social Security payroll taxes (FICA) or Social Security self-employment taxes. The dollar amount it takes to earn one credit is calculated annually. For 2024, you must earn $1,730 to be awarded one work credit or $6,920 to earn the yearly maximum allowed four credits. You can earn these four credits at any time during the year. You earn one credit at $1,730 of earnings, two credits at $3,460 of earnings, three credits at $5,190 of earnings, and four credits at $6,920 of earnings.

   How many work credits do I need?

The SSA has established a sliding scale for the number of credits you must earn in order to be covered under the SSDI program. Based on the scale, the older you are at the time you become disabled, the more credits you must have earned for SSDI eligibility purposes. Under the duration of work test, you must have earned a certain number of credits by the time you became disabled.

2. Recent Work Test

In addition to having earned the necessary number of total work credits, SSDI requires that a certain number of the credits must be earned “recently.”

This “recent work test” is complicated and based on your age when you became disabled.

The SSA determines how much recent work you need to have based on the “calendar quarter” in which your birthday falls. The four quarters are defined as being from (1) January 1 through March 31; (2) April 1 through June 30; (3) July 1 through September 30; and (4) October 1 through December 31.

The rules are as follows:

•   Before age 24 – You may be eligible if you have 6 credits earned in the 3-year period ending when your disability starts.
•   Age 24 to 31 – In general, you may be eligible if you have credit for working half the time between age 21 and the time your disability began. As an example, if you develop a disability at age 27, you would need 3 years of work (12 credits) out of the past 6 years (between ages 21 and 27).
•   Age 31 or older – In general, you must have at least 20 credits in the 10-year period immediately before your disability began.

Work years you will need based on your age.

B. Medical Eligibility Requirements:

If the Social Security Administration has determined that you are engaged in substantial gainful activity and you have been denied benefits talk to our attorneys at Bemis, Roach & Reed. We may be able to help find a solution. Call today at 512-454-4000

If you satisfy the financial requirements the SSA will next determine if you satisfy their medical requirements.

Social Security requires that you have a severe, long-term disability and uses a five-step process to determine if you are impaired enough to qualify for benefits.

  Are You Working?

To qualify for SSDI, your disability must be “total,” such that you are not able to perform “substantial gainful activity” (SGA) for at least one year. SGA is a term used by the SSA to describe a level of work activity and earnings. In 2024, the SGA earning level is set at $1,550 per month for nonblind applicants and $2,590 for those who are blind. So, if you are disabled non-blind but currently working and you make over $1,550/month, you are not considered disabled enough to qualify for SSDI benefits. If you are blind and working, you must not make over $2,590 per month.

  Is Your Medical Condition Severe?

Under SSDI rules, your disability must be “severe” enough to interfere with your ability to perform basic work-related activities, such as walking, sitting, understanding and remembering. The medical condition must also be “long term,” in that: (1) it has already existed for 12 months, or (2) is expected to last for at least 12 months or result in your death.

  Is Your Medical Condition on the List of Impairments?

Social Security has created a manual called the Blue Book which lists impairments Social Security considers disabling and may automatically qualify for benefits. If your condition is on this list, you will be considered disabled for SSDI purposes, provided you meet the requirements of the listing. Also, if your condition (or the combination of your conditions if you have more than one) is as severe or worse than the conditions on this “list,” then you will be considered disabled for SSDI purposes

  Can You Do the Work You Did Before?

If your medical condition is not in the Blue Book list of impairments, or did not meet or exceed the severity of conditions on the list, Social Security will consider whether your medical condition prevents you from doing the work you did prior to developing the condition. If it does not, then you are not considered disabled “enough” for SSDI purposes. If you cannot do your prior work, they will then determine if you can do any other type of work.



  Can You Do Any Other Type of Work?

If you cannot perform your prior job, Social Security will evaluate whether you can perform any other kind of work, taking into consideration your medical condition, your age, and your educational background, as well as any past work experiences or skills that you may have that could transfer to any other type of work. If you cannot do other work, you will be considered sufficiently disabled for SSDI purposes.

If you have a medical condition that prevents you from working, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance.

However, satisfying all the SSA’s conditions to qualify can be challenging. The application process can be difficult with invasive questions, complicated forms, and long waiting periods that can make applying for benefits overwhelming. Let us help. Contact the attorneys at Bemis, Roach and Reed for a free consultation.