South Carolina Social Security Disability Attorney

Understanding SSDI Work Credits

In addition to having a qualifying disability, you can only collect SSDI benefits if you have a sufficient number of work credits. Unlike SSI, SSDI is not a needs-based program. SSDI operates more like an insurance program. Over your working life, you pay into Social Security via payroll or self-employment taxes. Just as you can only get coverage through your car insurance if you have paid your premiums, you can only claim SSDI benefits if you’ve paid enough into Social Security — in this case, by earning enough work credits. So, think of work credits as your premiums for this particular form of insurance. 

You can earn up to four work credits each year, and you earn these credits automatically by paying taxes through a job or self-employment. These work credits are essentially a measure of how long and recently you have worked and contributed to Social Security through payroll or self-employment taxes.

The amount of income required to earn a credit varies from year to year. In 2022, for example, one credit equates to $1,510 in earnings. This means that if you earn $6,040 over the year, you will have earned the maximum of four credits for that year.

The total number of work credits needed to qualify for SSDI depends on the age at which you became disabled. Generally, 40 credits are required, 20 of which must have been earned in the last 10 years ending with the year you become disabled. However, younger workers may qualify with fewer credits. For example, if you become disabled before you turned 24, you may qualify with as few as six credits earned in the three-year period before you became disabled.

Why Does the SSA Deny SSDI Claims?

Statistically, the SSA rejects more initial SSDI claims than it approves. Understanding why many claims are denied can help you avoid common mistakes when submitting your application. Our South Carolina Social Security disability lawyer has a complete understanding of what the SSA looks for when evaluating a claim and will help ensure you include all evidence needed to secure a successful result.

The SSA denies SSDI claims for many reasons, including:

• Insufficient medical evidence. An SSDI claim can be denied if there is insufficient medical evidence to support the claim of disability. You must provide comprehensive medical records documenting your disability and its impact on your ability to work.
• The disability is not severe enough. The SSA has strict criteria for what constitutes a disability. If your disability is not expected to last at least 12 months or result in death, or it does not significantly interfere with your ability to perform basic work-related activities, the SSA could deny your claim.
• Failure to follow prescribed treatment. If the SSA believes that your condition would improve to the point where you could return to work if you followed a prescribed treatment, and you failed to follow that treatment without a good reason, your claim may be denied.
• Failure to cooperate with the SSA. The SSA may deny a claim if you do not cooperate with the SSA’s requests for information, medical records, or attending medical examinations.
• Substantial gainful activity. The SSA will deny an SSDI claim if it believes you are still able to engage in substantial gainful activity, which is defined as earning an amount that surpasses a certain threshold each month. If you are capable of substantial gainful activity, the SSA does not consider you disabled.
• Insufficient work credits. As discussed earlier, SSDI claimants must have accumulated a sufficient number of work credits to qualify for benefits. If you do not meet the work credit requirement, your SSDI claim will be denied.

Receiving a denial for an SSDI claim can be dispiriting, but it does not mean you can never get benefits. Many denials can be appealed, and our team at Lanier Law Group, P.A. can offer the guidance, support, and advocacy needed to put you in the best possible position. We will work to get the rejection reversed and deliver the benefits you deserve.